HONOLULU - Education never stops at ILWU, even for our Full-Time Officers. The sign of a good leader is someone who never stops learning, and 25 of our Full-Time Officers (Titled Officers, Division Directors and Business Agents), whether they were just elected to office or a seasoned veteran in union leadership service, attended the ILWU Honolulu Hall from September 12-16, 2022 for a rigorous week of learning. The last time a Full-Time Officer (FTO) Conference was held was in 2014.

Jam-packed agenda
The week-long curriculum got off to an inspiring start on Monday with Ka'ala Souza who taught leadership skills rooted in Hawaiian values. The following afternoon, Dale Yashiki from the National Labor Relations Board gave a presentation. She and fellow NLRB lawyer Scott Hovey were impressed by the FTO delegation. Yashiki said, "We didn't even get past the first slide of our presentation, and all of you are already asking so many great questions!" The rest of the week centered on a curriculum given by Eve Weinbaum, Gordon Lafer, Ilima Long, Craig Howe and Michelle Tran. Please see the next issue of the Voice for more in-depth coverage of what we learned!

Front: Local Secretary-Treasurer Michael Victorino, Jr., Kauai Business Agent (BA) Chad Pacheco, Oahu BA Corin Kekua. Second row: Kauai Division Director Rhonda Morris, Maui BA John Simpliciano, Hawaii BA Dylan Gaspar, Hawaii BA Tristie Licoan, Maui PAC Chair Lei Sato, Maui BA Emmanuel Baltazar, Organizer Colleen Antonio, Maui Division Director Roberto Andrion. Third row: Hawaii BA Roselyn Molina, Hawaii BA Jennifer Yadao, Maui BA Charles Andrion, Eve Weinbaum, Amazon Labor Union President Chris Smalls, Local President Chris West, Maui BA Ronald Siliado, Oahu BA Dillon Hullinger, Hawaii Division Director Elmer Gorospe. Back row: Kauai BA Daniel La'a, Maui BA Cyrus Kodani, Hawaii BA Michael Dela Cruz, Benton Rodden, Gordon Lafer, Oahu BA Dural Duenas, Oahu BA Paris Fernandez, Maui BA Stephen West.

Local 142 hosted LaborFest Hawai'i's event "Organize Hawai'i" with special guest Chris Smalls a little over halfway into the FTO Conference on Thursday, September 15, 2022. District 46 (Wahia- wa) Representative Amy Perruso; Kalani Werner, State Director of United Public Workers; Eric Gill, Financial Secretary-Treasurer of UNITE HERE! Local 5; Michael Victorino, Jr., ILWU Local 142 Sec- retary-Treasurer, Kawena'ulaokala Kapahua, Chair of Academic Labor United, Chris Smalls, Presi- dent of the Amazon Labor Union all made for a dynamic group on the panel that was taped and streamed live. Go to our ILWU Local 142 Hawaii page to catch the replay!