Employees at the Royal Kona Resort, whose collective bargaining agreement expired in June 2007, have have scheduled a strike authorization vote Thursday.

The workers will vote on whether to authorize their union, Unite Here Local 5, to call for a strike on their behalf should it become necessary. The union represents 145 employees at the hotel.

Union officials said after many months of negotiations the hotel's owners cancelled the union contract in January 2009.

The hotel is operated by Hawaiian Hotels & Resorts is a subsidiary of locally owned Pleasant Travel Service.