HONOLULU (KHON2) — The construction industry is booming, from road work, to homes and buildings going up across the island. But one local company is now on strike and workers weren’t seen at a few projects on July 24.
About 25 workers from Island Ready Mix Concrete started striking outside the Campbell Industrial building at midnight July 22; and they said they are there because they want a better quality of life.
“We work 10 to 12 hour days; seven days, we have state projects with Hawaiian Dredging at the Middle Street expansion, working with Goodfellows and new offramp for Kapolei, we are working at Koa Ridge, Hoapiili, we focus a lot on residential homes and people we have a lot of work,” said Kalae Hoopai, who has been a mixer operator and driver for Island Ready Mix Concrete for almost 15 years.
On Thursday, no workers were seen at Middle Street. KHON2 reached out to the Department of Transportation to see what happens next, and how it impacts their project timeline and are waiting to hear back.
“This is not the time to be on strike, the construction industry is at its most high,” said Teamsters Hawaii President Kevin Holu.
But the workers say they work seven days a week, and want just two days off to spend time with family.
“It’s just mind blowing, normally we fight for medical, wages, pension or 401k but this is just quality of life – five day work schedule two days off, just so they can spend time with family, Holu added.
Holu said they’ve been bargaining with the general manager of the company since June 2024.
KHON2 is in contact with the owner of the company who is out of the country at the moment. He is working on a statement to send us and we will update once he responds.
“The amount of work these guys do on average is about 500 to 600 yards a day, sometimes only five trucks, six trucks max and one truck only carries 10 yards,” Holu explained. “So you figure how many times they running back and forth they cannot take a lunch break in that day either, it’s just absurd hearing that kind of stuff.”
The union says the company should hire more people so level the work load of everyone.