Skip to main content
The men and women who distribute Anheuser-Busch prod ucts to your local watering holes and supermarkets have just ratified their new three-year contract by 85%. This achievement is a testa ment to the collective effort of the negotiation committee, who spent four days tirelessly bargaining for substantial wage increases, medical premium caps, contract protection, and the elimination of a vacation tier system.

Wages were a top priority. Both drivers and warehouse workers secured increases that are approx imately three times the increase
they secured three years ago. On average, all Odom ILWU members will see a 15.5% wage increase over three years. Negotiations also resulted in an increase in night pre miums, and the Committee secured a cap on medical premiums, effec tively freezing the current rate over the course of the contract.

Notably, Odom members elimi nated the tier system for vacation time. Before the new contract, anyone hired after 2011 could only earn up to 3 weeks of vacation per year, while those hired before 2011 could earn up to 4 weeks of vaca tion. The new contract allows all
Odom members across the board to earn up to 4 weeks of vacation per year. This is significant beyond the added week of vacation for newer employees. Eliminating the tier system also eliminates a cause for division among ILWU members.

The new contract includes strengthened “successor and as signs” language so that any future company sales will require the transfer of the entire collective bargaining agreement as part of the sale. This is significant as ownership of the Anheuser-Busch distribution has changed hands at least four times in recent years.
Ownership changes are opportuni ties for companies to rid themselves of CBAs. This is why successor language is so critical in particular industries. With strong successor language, if Odom sells distribution to another company, the rights and benefits of the current CBA and the jobs it protects will be secure.

represented by Business Agent, Jose Miramontes Jr. The Unit Chair is Clarence Chun. Congratulations to the members at Odom for secur ing a good contract.
HLD supports HHSAA championships
The Hawaiʻi Longshore Division sponsored this year’s Hawaiʻi High School Athletics Association (HH SAA) baseball and softball state championships. The games took place on May 17th at the Univer sity of Hawaiʻi’s Les Murakami Stadium and the Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium. Members of
the Hawai’i Longshore Division attended all games to support the teams and players from across the state.

In Division I baseball, Maui and Baldwin were named co-champions after their championship game was rained out. For Division I softball,
Mililani High School took the title after a 14-1 win over Kamehameha. In Division II baseball, Kamehame ha beat Damien 12-1 and in soft ball, Kapaʻa took the championship beating Pac 5 14-1.
Local 142 Unit Action Updates
Maui
Steward training
of the triennium
Hawai’i
Kohala Coast unites for
winning contracts
O’ahu
Cemetary workers
prepare for negotiations
Kaua’i
One Hotel employee wins
back job
A whopping 38 members attended the May Maui Division Steward training in Wailuku. The main hall of the building was packed with members from across industries.

Hotel workers showed up in force, with the Grand Wailea turning out the most members. This is part of the Grand Wailea’s push to mobilize members, not only around negotiations, but within their departments to resolve day to-day contract issues. Addressing various contract violations through member mobilization, prior to filing a grievance, was emphasized at the training.

Members from two of Maui’s cement companies, Hawaiian Cement and HC&D, were also in attendance. Each of these Units recently finished negotiation new strong contracts. But what good is a good contract if it’s not enforced? Congratulations to all the new Stewards. You make the union strong.
Like Waikīkī on Oʻahu and Kaʻanapali on Maui, the Kohala Coast is a hotbed for Hawaiʻi tourism. The majority of hotels on this coastline are ILWU and this year, the Hawaiʻi Division is negoting four hotel contracts that cover approximately 2,000 members.

The Maunakea Beach Hotel and the Westin Hapuna are up first with contracts expiring at the end of May. Negotiations began in May. The Hilton Waikoloa has started preliminary talks with the employer and the Fairmont Orchid is beginning to form their negotiating committee.

All in all, the Business Agents, Division Director, and committees are working together to ensure that all of the hotel members on the Kohala Coast stand together and support eachothers negotiations and mobilizations.

These hotels are gearing up for strong mobilization campaigns. So be on the lookout!
Four Oʻahu cemetaries covered by the ILWU are gearing up for negotiations. These incude the historic Oʻahu Cemetary, Nuʻuanu Cemetary, Valley of the Temples, and Diamond Head Memorial Park.

Each of these cemetaries have relatively small crews who are responsible for everything from digging graves to preparing for and supporting funerals, to maintaining the cemetary grounds.

Remembering those who have passed is a strong value among the cultures in Hawaiʻi. Additionally, some of the graveyards that ILWU members work at are especially historic. Within Oʻahu Cemetary for example, rests many who shaped Hawaiʻi as we know it.

In addition to wages and benefits, cemetary workers negotiate unique items such as “hand digging bonuses” an “disinternment differentials”. Good luck in negotiations, gang.
A six-month grievance between the ILWU and One Hotel was finally settled in May. The result of the grievance was the re-employement of a 22-year hotel employee.

The issue brought to light some of the ongoing tensions between hotel employees and contracted services that hotels sometime utilize.

In this case, a frustrated guest could not find anyone from the contracted service to help her. After the ILWU member looked for someone to help the guest and was unsucessful, they helped the guest themselves. Upon learning about this, a contracted service person complained that the union employee was taking their job (ironic). Unfortunately the company sided with the contracted service and terminated the employee.

A grievance was filed and with the support of Business Agent Daniel La’a and Division Director Rhonda Morrison, the member got their job back. Good work, Kauaʻi.