WELGA! WELGA!
By A. Solver Agcaoili
(for the Hyatt Regency Strike; performed by students and workers of the hotel at the road pavements of Waikiki, September 13, 2011)
Chorus 1:
Welga, welga, agwelga
Dakami ket agwelga
Agwelga ta irupir
Karbenganmi, irupir!
Welga, welga, agwelga
Dakami ket agwelga
Agwelga ta irupir
Karbenganmi, irupir!
Chorus 2:
Abuso, abuso, abusero!
Hyatt, Hyatt, abusero!
Give us dignity, give us life
Give us liberty, give our jobs!
Narrator 1:
We have come in here to show our solidarity with our hotel workers. We are students learning to find our way in the real world.
Worker 1:
Immaykami tapno makikammayet kadakayo. Immaykami tapno iti nagan ti panagkaykaysa a panangirupir kadagiti kalintegantayo ket ti namaymaysa met a pagbanagan daytoy a panagwelgatayo.
Worker 2:
For them to take our jobs is the same as taking away our chance to live with dignity.
Worker 3:
They have subcontracted our jobs to other subcontracting companies. And the subcontracting employees are getting less than what they work for.
Child of Worker 1:
My mother leaves early in the evening.
Child of Worker 2:
I do not see her till late at night.
Child of Worker 3:
She shows me her callused hands.
Worker 4:
Look at my hands. They are the hands of people who work all day. This callus is one for the tourist from Asia. This callus is for the tourist from the mainland.
Worker:
Look at my hands! This callus is for the tourist from Europe! This callus is for the tourist who has all money in the world—all!
Chorus 1:
Kalio, Kalio, kalkalio
Agkalio ti imayo!
Kalio, kalio, kalkalio
Kalio-kalio ti imayo!
Chorus 2:
Show me your hands!
Show me your hands!
Student 1:
(Sings)
Mother, mother, how many beds did you fix today?
Mother, mother, how many rooms di you clean today?
Did you ever eat your lunch?
Did you ever eat your lunch?
Child of Worker 1:
She tells me of the beds she fixed today.
Worker 1:
Sixteen! Sixteen! No, seventeen!
Child of Worker 4:
She tells me of the rooms she cleaned today.
Chorus--ALL:
Sixteen, seventeen,
Fourteen, fifteen,
Sixteen, seventeen
Fourteen, fifteen!
Worker 5:
Out of our labor comes their profit.
Out of our sweat comes their money.
Out of our sacrifice comes their dollars.
While we are left here by ourselves.
Chorus 1:
Kalio, Kalio, kalkalio
Agkalio ti imayo!
Kalio, kalio, kalkalio
Kalio-kalio ti imayo!
Student:
We need all these business ventures. We need all the business initiatives. We need the capital coming into our state. But to say that our labor should be last before capital…
Worker 6:
Out of our labor comes their profit.
Out of our sweat comes their money.
Out of our sacrifice comes their dollars.
While we are left here by ourselves.
Worker 7:
The cost of living in Hawaii is more than twice the average cost in the land.
The credit card debt is third highest in the country.
Where are we going to get the money to put put on our tables?
Worker 8:
How are we going to raise of children?
How are we going to send them to school?
How are we going to pay our mortgage?
How are we going to pay our rent?
Chorus 2:
Out of our labor comes their profit.
Out of our sweat comes their money.
Out of our sacrifice comes their dollars.
While we are left here by ourselves.
Chorus 1:
Kalio, Kalio, kalkalio
Agkalio ti imayo!
Kalio, kalio, kalkalio
Kalio-kalio ti imayo!
Worker 9:
While we work so hard, the Goldman Sachs earns millions.
While we work so hard, the owners of Hyatt are able to earn millions by selling their stocks.
Chorus 1:
Kalio, Kalio, kalkalio
Agkalio ti imayo!
Kalio, kalio, kalkalio
Kalio-kalio ti imayo!
Chorus 1:
Welga, welga, agwelga
Dakami ket agwelga
Agwelga ta irupir
Karbenganmi, irupir!
Welga, welga, agwelga
Dakami ket agwelga
Agwelga ta irupir
Karbenganmi, irupir!
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