U.S. Representative District 1 candidate Colleen Hanabusa spent time with ILWU members’ and employees’ children when she participated in an Oahu Division Executive Board Family Night in 2014. Hanabusa has deep roots in Hawaii and shares the political and social views that have made the ILWU a progressive and forward looking union.
HONOLULU—ILWU Local 142 released the complete list of the union endorsed candidates for congressional, state and county races (See page 8). Endorsements were made only in the Democratic Party races. Hawaii conducts a single party primary election where voters select candidates from the party of their choice. Therefore, ILWU members, families and friends are urged to take a Democratic ballot in the Primary Election on Saturday, August 13, 2016.
Three levels of endorsements were made:
An “endorsement” of a candidate means that the union and their families are urged to vote and support the candidate. The union and its officers may actively support the candidate.
• An “open endorsement” means that the union has no recommendation for the race and members are free to vote for any candidate. However, ILWU officers and stewards should not publicly support any candidate, as that can be seen to mean support by the union.
• A “no endorsement” means members are urged NOT to support or vote for any of the candidates in that race. ILWU has endorsed the following candidates for Congress: Brian Schatz for U.S. Senate, Colleen Hanabusa for U.S. House District 1, and Tulsi Gabbard for U.S. House District 2.
Schatz, Hanabusa and Gabbard have a long history of defending the rights of working people. They share the same visions, goals and principles of the ILWU and have dedicated their public service as strong advocates for Hawaii’s middleclass families, seniors, and our veterans. We can depend on them to work hard to maintain and fix our infrastructure (such as highways and bridges), stimulate job growth by investing in education, protect workers and the environment, and to preserve Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.
Get out the vote
Voting is an important right in our society. By voting, YOU are making your voice heard. Be sure to vote—either by absentee mail ballot or at the polls on August 13, 2016. If you need help getting to the polls, call your union office.
The last day to register to vote in the primary election is July 14, 2016. If you miss that deadline, you can still register to vote in the General Election which will be held on November 8, 2016. You must register by October 10, 2016 to vote in the General Election.
Get the new Wikiwiki Voter Registration and Permanent Absentee Application form (request for mail ballot) at elections. hawaii.gov/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/ VR-PAB-English.pdf or call your Division office.
—more on page 8
Bouslog Scholarships recipients announced
LWU family members encouraged to apply—16 more scholarships could have been given out
The Harriet Bouslog Labor Scholarship Fund (HBLSF) has announced its 2016 class of scholarship awardees.
According to President of the Harriet Bouslog Scholarship Fund Mark Bernstein, scholarship recipients are currently attending UH Manoa, Hilo, Hawaii Community College and West Oahu. “We need applicants from Maui, Kauai, Leeward Oahu, Honolulu Community College (CC), Windward CC and Kapiolani CC,” Bernstein said.
List of 2016 scholars
Big Island recipients include Xandia Akau, daughter of Ernette Akau from Hilton Waikoloa Village; Alexis Cabrera, granddaughter of Evelina Cabrera from Hilton Waikoloa Village; Alanna L.K. Souza, granddaughter of Joseph R. Faisca, Sr. from Kohala Sugar Company; and Tiare Lee-Shibuya, niece of Jovena Moses from Punaluu Bake Shop.
Maui awardees are: Celina J. Hayashi, granddaughter of Pedro Sebastian Macadangdang from Wailuku Sugar Company; and Raymond Andrade, nephew of Michelle Takahama from Grand Wailea Resort.
There were three recipients from Oahu: Kapena K. Aveiro, nephew of Kapena Kanaiaupuni from Pacific Beach Hotel; Colleen Garrett, daughter of Brenda Jean Garrett from Kaiser Permanente Hawaii; and Kolton Pugay, son of Edward Pugay from Love’s Bakery.
“While we are grateful for the applications we received for this Fall, HBLSF still had 16 scholarships that should have been given away to family members of ILWU Local 142,” Bernstein noted. “We find that many students and their families are paying 100% of the tuition at UH campuses when they could be receiving up to $2,000 a semester depending on the campus. We also see that many students are coming in to the program as sophomores, juniors, seniors and graduate students. HBLSF would have loved to have distributed tuition to qualified ILWU 142 members.”
About the Harriet Bouslog Labor Scholarship
Established in 1989 by Harriet Bouslog and her husband Stephen T. Sawyer, the HBLSF recognizes the historical achievements of the ILWU and the union’s economic, social, and political contributions to Hawaii. Harriet spent much of her life in service to ILWU members, starting with her first job as an attorney for the union—which was to defend sugar workers during the 1946 sugar strike. According the the HBLSF website, Harriet wrote:
I am proud of my work from November 1946 to December 31, 1978 because I feel my efforts as an attorney contributed to the great achievements of the ILWU accomplished in organizing the workers in Hawai’i on the vast sugar and pineapple plantations as well as the longshoremen.The conflict of forces led strikes to improve working and living conditions, and to put pressures on both law and custom effecting the social, civic, and political participation of the great non-white masses in the community life of the Islands.
For more information about the HBLSF please visit harrietbouslog.com.