“Awesome” was the word some of the participants used to describe the education they got at the ILWU’s 7th Labor Institute. They also used “awesome” to describe each other, as that special group of active union members who seek the knowledge to help their brothers and sisters on the job and to make the world a better place.
The 7th Labor Institute, held this June 13-17 at the ILWU Hall in Honolulu, brought together 117 men and women who normally work at their jobs like any other ILWU member. They clean rooms as housekeepers; they move cargo as stevedores; they stock shelves in supermarkets; they grind sugar cane, pack pineapples or cover macadamia nuts with chocolate; they drive trucks or they prepare meals in a hospital cafeteria.
But these 117 people are a little different, because they have accepted the additional responsibility as a union leader/activist. Some of them have been elected by their fellow members as the chairperson, secretary, treasurer, or shop steward of their unit. Others have stepped forward to do the job because no one else was willing.
They receive no additional pay or special privilege for their work as union leaders. They do the job because they understand that a strong union organization gives workers dignity and the power to improve their conditions. They do the job because they want to do their part to build a stronger union at their workplace.
These on-the-job leaders are the backbone of a democratic, rank-and-file union like the ILWU, and the purpose of the Labor Institute is to provide these leaders with the skills, knowledge, and support they need.
The comments on this page are the words of the participants themselves and gives you a glimpse of their “awesome” learning experience.
Instructor Tracy Chang (right) shows Emma Yagodich from Foodland Maui how to use websites like the US Securities and Exchange Commission to find financial information on corporations.
Mike Bunyard from The Westin Maui (with back to camera), Mathew Rodrigues from Dole Fresh Fruit, David Dutro from Young Brothers and Sam Kaaihue from McCabe compare safety hazards in the hotel, longshore, and pineapple industries.
Teamwork saves the egg. Ven Garduque, Kimo Tagupa, Joe Crespin, Darlene Palmerton, Bobby Andrion, and Ursula Tangaro learn the value of teamwork in an “egg drop” exercise.
Butter Tolzmann from Mauna Kea Beach Hotel, Leonor Corpuz from Mauna Loa Mac Nut Corp., LInda Fernandez from Lanai Resorts, and Gordon Ogawa from Sack ’n Save Oahu discuss a plan to strengthen the union at their workplaces.
Maui Division Business Agent Teddy Espeleta, Donald Hurdle from Kaanapali Golf, Parrish Lopes from Sack ’n Save Kona, Tavita Tufaga from Hawaiian Memorial Park, Lehua Ii from Kapalua Bay Hotel, and Serena Okuhara from Servco Pacific work on an exercise to develop a mobilizing plan for union members.
Reality TV at the ILWU. Roger Soliva from Gay & Robinson (right) practices his public speaking in a workshop on communications skills. Dawn Addy (left) is videotaping Roger as he reports to his members on the progress of negotiations with management.
