The main office of Hawaii Division is in Hilo at 100 West Lanikaula Street. The Hawaii Division also has an office in Kona at Kaiwi Square, 74-5565 Luhia Street, A-3A. These offices are open as needed for meetings and other activities. The Honokaa office is closed until further notice.

You can usually reach Elmer Gorospe Sr., Delbert DeRego, and George Martin at the Hilo Office. Francine Molina, Corinna Salmo, and Michael Dela Cruz work out of the Kona Office. If you get the answering machine, call their cell phone or try the Honokaa or Hilo Office. You can also phone or email your business agent directly; they will be available during reasonable hours. Check with your Unit Chair who usually has their business agent’s cell phone number and e-mail.

Their Division Executive Board Meetings start at 6:00 pm on April 22 in Hilo, May 27 in Kona, June 24 in Hilo, July 22 in Hilo, August 26 in Kona, September 30 in Hilo, October 21 in Hilo, November 30 (Wednesday) in Kona and December 16 in Hilo.

Elmer C. Gorospe, Sr. 
Division Director 

Elmer is the chief administrative officer of the Division. He directs the work of the Division clerks and business agents. He is a long-time ILWU member, having worked at Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut Corporation as a power plant operator since 1994. Elmer’s varied union service includes unit treasurer and terms as a business agent. This is his second term as division director.

Francine Molina 
Business Agent 

Francine started working at the front desk of the Outrigger Keauhou in 2006, where she served the unit as treasurer, editor, grievance chair and vice chair. Francine also worked at the Hapuna Beach Prince Hotel in 2006 as a cocktail server. This is her second term as business agent.

Michael Dela Cruz 
Business Agent 

Michael served Hawaii Division members as a temporary business agent before being appointed to his first term in 2016. He is a long-time ILWU member, having worked at The Hilton Waikoloa Village for 15 years.

Michael’s varied union service includes unit steward and third vice chair. He was elected as the tourism industry representative to the International Executive Board, a position in which he served until he accepted the job of fulltime officer for the Hawaii Division. He currently serves as a trustee on the VEBA Trust.

Delbert W. DeRego 
Business Agent 

Delbert became an ILWU member in 1973 when he went to work at Wailuku Agribusiness Company. He worked as a mule handler, road side spray driver, semitrailer truck driver, and 1st Class truck driver/harvester boom operator before working for Maui Division as an appointed local representative from 1995 to 2011.

Delbert’s union experience includes service as a unit chair and pineapple negotiating committee chair. He was assigned duties to Hawaii Division in September 2011 and then appointed business agent in 2012 and made the move to the Big Island. He was elected as a business agent in 2013. This is his second term as a Big Island business agent.

George A. Martin 
Business Agent 

George became an ILWU member when he began working at Yamada & Sons, Inc., then at Hamakua Sugar Company. When the sugar company closed in 1994, he was rehired at Yamada & Sons as a mechanic. He served as steward and unit chair at both companies. This is George’s fourth term as business agent.

Corinna Salmo 
Business Agent 

This is Corinna’s fourth term as business agent. She has been an ILWU member since 1984, when she worked at the Royal Hawaiian Orchards, L.P., as a tractor blower operator and hand harvester. Corinna has served her unit as treasurer, editor, and secretary.

Ann Chong 
Division Clerk 

Ann was an ILWU member with the Big Island Educational Federal Credit Union before becoming a division clerk in 1986. She performs the clerical work for the Hawaii Division at the Hilo office.

Sui Sin Poy Coloma 
Senior Clerk 

Sui Sin joined the ILWU family in 1998. She staffed the Honokaa Office, providing clerical support for the West Hawaii-based business agents and also for the West Hawaii members before relocating to the Hilo Office. She is married, with two sons, a daughter and six grandchildren.