George Bugarin, retired business agent from Maui Division, passed away on October 25, 2013, just one month after being diagnosed with cancer. He was 73 years old.
George was born and raised on Maui and enlisted in the Army just out of high school. He became a member of the ILWU when he started working for Brewer Chemical in 1966 and stayed with the C. Brewer subsidiary for 25 years. During that time, he was active in the ILWU, serving as unit chair for most of his tenure with the company. While quiet and unassuming, George was an effective leader and stood up to management when needed.
In recognition of his sure and steady qualities, George was appointed as a Division Representative in 1991 and later elected as business agent, serving ILWU members working for companies on Maui. When asked why he sought the position, George said he liked to help people and thought being a business agent would be a way to do that. Always loyal to the ILWU, George represented both the union and his members proudly.
George particularly enjoyed his role as sports coordinator for Maui Division. An avid golfer, George took pleasure in setting up golf tournaments for ILWU members. When he retired in 2003, George and his union buddies, Willie Kennison and Mark Ueki, continued to golf on a regular basis.
In his retirement, George was tapped to serve on the Board of the ILWU Memorial Association. He was also elected President of the Central Maui ILWU Pensioner Club, one of the largest clubs in the ILWU State Pensioner Association. George also presided over the State Association’s biennial conference in 2012, bringing together representatives from more than 20 clubs to Maui. In his calm, deliberate way, George managed all the conference activities, including arranging for hotel accommodations at an ILWU house, Maui Beach Hotel.
George also continued, even into retirement, to represent the ILWU on the Board of Hale Mahaolu, a nonprofit organization that owns and manages affordable rental housing for elderly individuals and families. As a Full-Time Official, George served on the State Pesticide Advisory Council because of his background in pesticides from his work at Brewer Chemical.
George’s passing so quickly took his family by surprise, but they surrounded him with love and helped him to find peace in his final days. He was blessed with a loving family—his wife, Janet “Mapu,” who retired this year from Times Supermarket (formerly Star Market), where she was chair of the ILWU bargaining unit, and their three children, 10 grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.
George Bugarin will be remembered as a loyal, dedicated union member, good friend, and devoted family man. He will be missed in his role with the Maui pensioners and the ILWU Memorial Association, but his legacy will live on as a union member for others to emulate.
Remembering Antone Kahawaiolaa Jr
Antone Kahawaiolaa, Jr. had a long name that some could not pronounce and most did not use. To almost everyone in the ILWU, he was known simply and fondly as Tony K. On October 4, 2013, at the age of 88, Tony K passed away, almost 25 years after retiring from the ILWU as an International Representative.
Tony K began his affiliation with the ILWU in 1942, working as a machine operator and a member of ILWU Local 36 in Hilo. At that time, the ILWU was made up of several locals (for longshore, sugar, pineapple) but was consolidated into a single local in 1952. From 1943 to 1950, Tony held various jobs and was a delegate (the equivalent of a steward on board a ship) for the Marine Firemen and Watertenders Union.
In 1950, he began working as a heavy equipment operator by Brewer Chemical, a subsidiary of C. Brewer and now known as BEI, which made him a full dues-paying ILWU member. Tony became active in the Brewer Chemical bargaining unit and served as vice chair for many years. Tony also served on the Local Executive Board and the International Executive Board, where he developed lifelong friendships with West Coast brothers and sisters. Tony was even selected by the ILWU as an overseas delegate to Ethiopia in 1972 to foster solidarity between U.S. and Ethiopian workers.
In 1964, Tony ran for and was elected to the position of business agent for Oahu Division. He was a business agent for 20 years until 1984 when he was appointed as an International Representative, a position he held until his retirement in 1990.
As an International Rep, Tony was known as a troubleshooter to negotiate contracts, quell problems in the units, and fire up the membership. Tony also handled arbitration appeals, worked on special projects for Hawaii Regional Director Tommy Trask, and helped organize in the sugar and automotive industries.
Tony was never an “all work and no play” kind of guy. He enjoyed the company of his union friends, having a few beers and playing a few rounds of golf. He was committed 100% to the union and his work—but he also knew how to unwind and share laughter and conversation with his union brothers and sisters.
Tony was blessed with a loving family that gave him the opportunity to spend so much time with the ILWU. When he retired, he made up for lost time and devoted himself to his wife Momi and his children and grandchildren. They remember his retirement years fondly, with Grandpa Tony babysitting the grandkids and watching them grow up.
Tony was active with the ILWU even after his retirement as an early member of the ILWU Memorial Association board of directors. He also helped found the Pau Hana pensioner club and served as an ILWU representative on the Board of the Hawaii Council for Senior Citizens, which later became known as the Hawaii Alliance for Retired Americans.
Tony K will be remembered as a handsome Hawaiian with a calm demeanor, fun spirit, gentle smile, and true dedication to the ILWU.