Unionized staff and community supporters turned the sidewalks outside Hale Nani Rehabilitation & Nursing Center in Makiki into a loud picket line on Friday, protesting staffing cuts and a lapsed contract. Marching and chanting at several entrances, they said shorter shifts and leaner staffing have made routine, day-to-day care harder on residents, as reported by the Honolulu Star-Advertiser.
A photo gallery from the scene shows picketers stretched along Pensacola and Piikoi streets, hoisting signs that demand “better staffing now.” Roughly 50 protesters are visible at the facility’s entrances, according to images published by the Honolulu Star-Advertiser.
More than 200 Hale Nani employees have been working without a contract since the end of December, and managers recently cut shifts from eight to six hours, according to Hawaii News Now. Staff members, primarily certified nursing assistants along with workers in dietary, maintenance and housekeeping, said the changes have stretched already thin teams and reduced the time they can spend on daily resident care. “They are just sitting and rotting,” one daughter said.
Union demands and past actions
The Hale Nani unit of Local 5, made up mostly of CNAs and support staff, is pushing for restored hours, higher wages and enforceable staffing language that workers say would improve care for residents, according to UNITE HERE Local 5. Earlier organizing at the facility has included a multi-day walkout and unfair labor practice claims, detailed in a Labor Notes report on prior disputes, which described a years-long struggle over staffing levels and discipline.
Families say resident care is suffering
Relatives who joined the demonstration said residents have gone without regular showers, recreation and daily movement, and some accused the facility of failing to provide basic rehabilitation supports. Hale Nani did not offer a statement when contacted, a detail reported by Hawaii News Now…