Workers in the Maui Health System assemble picket signs in preparation for a three-day strike Nov. 4-6, 2024. Eli Pace/The Maui News

The Maui County Council met Tuesday and voted in favor of a resolution to show support for Maui Health System workers in their ongoing labor negotiations.

The resolution 24-189 urges the Maui Health System, a Kaiser Foundation Hospital LLC, to negotiate in good faith with the workers who went on strike Nov. 4-6.

The strike occurred after ongoing negotiations, which had been taking place since July, failed to resolve. As a result, about 1,000 Maui Health System employees represented by the United Nurses Association of California/Union of HealthCare Professionals went on strike while asking for increased wages and guaranteed patient-to-staff ratios.

The resolution states that “a swift and fair resolution to these negotiations is in the best interests” of the health care workers of Maui Memorial Medical Center, Kula Hospital, and Lanah Community Health Center and all residents of Maui County.

“I hope that they get the message that they need to step up and pay people appropriately,” South Maui Councilmember Tom Cook said of the resolution.

“I’m happy to support this but I’m sad that we have to do this again,” said Councilmember Nohe U’u-Hodgins, representing Paia, Makawao and Haiku.

West Maui Councilmember Tamara Paltin, who introduced the resolution, noted that the employees worked through COVID and the fires.

“They’ve seen horrific things and they are just trying to help us, so they need our help to help them to help us,” Paltin said.

Lana’i Councilmember Gabe Johnson said he was in the basement with the nurses during negotiations at one point and described the process as “fascinating.”

“We sat around for eight hours, and they would come down from the main offices for five minutes and say, ‘no,’ and then go back up. And that’s what the nurses did — just sit in a room for hours and hours waiting to have their voices heard,” he said.

Paltin said the next dates for negotiations are Dec. 11 and Dec. 12, and she wanted the resolution passed so the nurses could take it with them to the bargaining table.

All council members present voted in favor of the effort.

For a full look at the resolution, visit mauicounty.legistar.com/calendar.aspx.