HILO—The 2004 Hawaii Division awards were held at Hilo’s Harry Kamoku Hall on Saturday, February 26, 2005. Over 125 members filled the union hall by 6:00 p.m. in anticipation of an awards dinner that, according to Division Director Richard Baker Jr., “Gives the Division a chance to show its appreciation to all the members who participate in our programs and show leadership. Not everyone will get an award, but the dinner is an ‘aloha’ to every active member.”
Take an active role
Business Agent Roy Jardine served as emcee and welcomed members to the dinner, introducing Baker as the first speaker for the evening. Baker thanked members for taking an active role in the union, and urged them to continue to “step up to the plate,” particularly in political action. “Right now we have a president who wants to destroy all that Democrats have done for workers,” Baker said. “But there is a weapon we can fight with, and that is political action.” Baker wrapped up his speech with this exhortation for the members: “Participate in your union—it’s all about you. You are the rank-and-file that make this union great.”
Local Secretary-Treasurer Guy Fujimura conveyed a message from Local President Fred Galdones, who was unable to attend the function. “An injury to one is an injury to all,” Fujimura read. “I know that everyone here believes in these words with all their hearts. You, and those like you in the units, who are actively participating in the union’s programs—whether it be negotiations or political action, membership education or grievance handling—are the living embodiment of our ILWU creed.”
Unit awards
The Hawaii Division unit awards are determined by a point-based system. Points are given for Executive Board attendance and participation in political action, membership services and other union programs.
There was a tie for 2004 Outstanding Unit with 1-29 members: Unit 1418 - Kuwaye Trucking and Unit 1403 - ML Macadamia Orchards, LP - Mauna Kea Division. Unit 1403 - ML Macadamia Orchards, LP - Keaau Division won the award for Outstanding Unit with 30-99 members. The final category, Outstanding Unit with 100+ members also ended in a tie, with Unit 1402 - Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut Corp. and Unit 1515 - The Fairmont Orchid sharing the honors.
Unit editor awards
“The unit bulletin program is one of our greatest tools for building the union, because the better educated our members are, the stronger they are,” said Business Agent and Bulletin Coordinator Wallace Ishibashi Jr. 2004’s Best Overall editor for Hawaii Division was Frankie Pang of Unit 1518 - Hapuna Beach Prince Hotel. The year’s Runner-up was Anna Ater of Unit 1421 - Sack ’n Save Foods, and Honorable Mention awards went to Betty Pacheco and Joyce Bugado of Unit 1501 - Hawaii Naniloa Resort.
Mahalo
Many volunteers helped to make the awards dinner a success, including chief cook Isaac Fiesta Jr., who started preparing the meal at 4:00 a.m. Saturday morning. Other volunteers included all the fulltime officers, Malcolm Osaki, Tony Lapenia, Eusebio Lapenia Jr., Fred Fiesta, Ula and Nani Kaeha, Lucy Gauthier, Teena Butterfield and Corinna Salmo. ◆
Hawaii Division fulltime officers and staff are (l-r) Business Agent (BA) Elmer Gorospe, Division Clerk Sui Sin Coloma, BA Richard Kaniho, Division Director Richard Baker Jr., BA Greg Gauthier, BA Wallace Ishibashi Jr., BA Roy Jardine, and BA Isaac Fiesta Jr. Missing: Division Clerk Ann Chong.
Participation is key to an outstanding unit, and Unit 1402 - Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut Corp. members showed up in force at the Hawaii Division 2004 awards banquet, where Mauna Loa received an award for Outstanding Unit with 100+ members. (L-r) Mercy Aku, Mercedes Habab, Jeanne Yoshizawa, Daisy Nakamoto, Unit Chairperson Wilma Revilla, and Business Agent Isaac Fiesta Jr.
Helen Clavin accepts an award on behalf of Unit 1403 - ML Macadamia Orchards, LP - Keaau Division, recognized as the Outstanding Unit with 30-99 members for 2004.
Unit 1418 - Kuwaye Trucking Unit Chairperson Vernon Montibon accepts the award for Outstanding Unit with 1-49 members on behalf of his co-workers.
Hawaii Division members enjoyed good food, live entertainment, and fellowship at their awards banquet. Fulltime officers and rank-and-file volunteers set up the tables and chairs, decorated the hall and cooked the delicious local-style buffet.
Arthur Reeves (left) and Jose Salinas (right) accept a unit award from Business Agent Wallace Ishibashi Jr. on behalf of Unit 1515 - The Fairmont Orchid. Like Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut Corp., The Fairmont Orchid also received an award for Outstanding Unit with 100+ members for 2004.
Business Agent Elmer Gorospe presents one of two awards for Outstanding Unit with 1-29 members to Linda Yoshizawa of Unit 1403 - ML Macadamia Orchards, LP - Mauna Kea Division.
Hawaii Division’s most active pensioner club in 2004 was Laupahoehoe. Club President Rosalina Tolentino accepts the award on behalf of her members.
The Pahala Pensioner’s Club, led by President Franco Longakit, recruited the most new members in 2004.
O R G A N I Z E !
NLRB ordered to certify ILWU as the union at Pacific Beach Hotel
On February 14, 2005 the ILWU Local 142 received the decision of the administrative law judge handling the election for union representation case at Pacific Beach Hotel. The secret ballot vote for union representation was conducted by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) on hotel premises back on July 24, 2004. The election results were close: 179 “yes” (for union) to 174 “no,” with 12 challenged ballots. The judge’s ruling states that the ILWU should be certified by the Regional NLRB as the union for employees at Pacific Beach Hotel. However, the hotel has filed exceptions (an appeal) to the judge’s decision, causing further delay for workers wanting a union at the hotel. Pacific Beach Hotel employs over 400 workers in bargaining unit positions.
Know an employee at Pacific Beach Hotel?
If so, encourage them to support the effort to improve their working conditions through union representation! Contact the ILWU Organizing Department at 949-4161!
“No” to Bush Social Security scheme—continued from page 2
1973, for example, stock prices, as measured by Standard and Poor’s 500 Index, tumbled by 48 percent before they finally bottomed out nearly two years later. The stock market did not reach its January 1973 level again for more than seven years.
Stock market declines as big as the one in 1973 and 1974 would have a catastrophic impact on retirement income security under a system in which personal retirement accounts replaced Social Security. Assuming the amounts set aside in personal accounts were fully invested in the stock market, two workers with identical work histories, wages and retirement account contributions could see their retirement nest eggs vary by more than 50 percent, depending on whether they had the good luck to retire in 1970 or the bad luck to retire in 1975.
When George W. Bush became president, the stock market took a dramatic dive and has just recently started to recover. In 2000-2001, many workers saw their 401(k) plans lose half their value. Many workers had to postpone their retirement because they had counted on a healthy 401(k) plan to strengthen their retirement security.
Suppose the stock market crashes only twice a century. Most people will live into their seventies, eighties or nineties. The odds are good that most workers will see one big crash. Retirement accounts tied into the stock market would be devastating to the country’s retirees and disabled workers.
Under the Bush’s hand-picked commission’s plan, one-third of the workers’ contributions to Social Security would be diverted from the trust funds into private accounts. The trust funds would lose almost $2 trillion in the first 10 years alone. So significantly does this diversion hurt the trust funds that the date Social Security would be unable to pay full benefits would be moved up (from 2042 to 2021). How does that fix the long term solvency of Social Security? It doesn’t.
Bush’s plan actually creates a crisis in the system that does not exist today. In fact, in order to give a boost to Wall Street, Bush is banking on the fact that you will believe his lies that the system is in crisis and rally to support his ill-conceived scheme.
Just say “No!”
Recent news reports say that Bush and his cronies are making a lot of noise that they touched the third rail of politics, Social Security, and survived. They think this gives them the mandate to go in, change a working program, siphon profits off to their friends on Wall Street, and stick it to hard-working Americans once again. It’s up to YOU to tell him this is not going to happen. Expect a major fight early this year. The ILWU and other unions must mobilize and let our elected officials know that NO pass will be given for helping Bush rob America’s seniors. We must fight this battle, before America is changed forever.
Please send a letter to your Senator and member of Congress today and demand that they oppose any measure that privatizes Social Security. I would like a copy of your correspondence so that we can keep track of the communication going to Congress.
Your members of Congress can be reached at the following address:
The Honorable Neil Abercrombie
The Honorable Ed Case
U.S. House of Representatives Washington, D.C. 20515
The Honorable Daniel Inouye
The Honorable Daniel Akaka
United States Senate Washington, D.C. 20510
The addrress of the Washington Office:
Lindsay McLaughlin Legislative
Director ILWU
1025 Connecticut Avenue, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20036 ◆