The ILWU Local 142 Political Action Committee has endorsed Mazie Hirono for the U.S. Senate, Colleen Hanabusa for the U.S. House of Representatives First Congressional District, and Mufi Hannemann for the U.S. House of Representatives Second Congressional District in 2012. Senator Dan Inouye’s term runs until 2016 and he already has the full support and endorsement of the ILWU.

Last March, U.S. Senator Daniel Akaka announced his retirement after 36 years of distinguished public service in Congress. Mazie Hirono has chosen to run for the vacancy created by Akaka’s retirement. Colleen The next Local 142 Executive Board (LEB) meeting is scheduled to start at 9:00 am on March 16, 2012, in Honolulu at the ILWU building on 451 Atkinson Drive. ILWU members are welcome to attend as observers. Hanabusa will run for the seat she currently holds, and Mufi Hannemann will run for the seat being

Now more than ever Hawaii needs a progressive and united team in Washington DC to end the Republican blockade of any meaningful job creation programs, their refusal to end the Bush the tax breaks to the wealthiest 1%, and the Republican insistence on cutting government programs which serve the needs of the vast majority of working Americans.

Hirono, Hanabusa, Hannemann, and Inouye have a long and proven record of standing up for working families and share many of the same goals and philosophy of the ILWU.

ILWU members will be able to count on them to work hard to fix our broken bridges and highways, stimulate job growth by investing in education, protect workers and the environment, preserve Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, and work to create a more just and equitable America.

Please talk to your friends and family, volunteer to support their campaigns, and vote to elect Mazie Hirono, Colleen Hanabusa, and Mufi Hannemann. Sign up to vote absentee or go to your polling place for the 2012 Primary Election on August 11 and the 2012 General Election on November 6.

Major legal battles won at Pacific Beach Hotel
Court orders second injunction and contempt order

HONOLULU—As the result of a hearing before Federal District Court Judge J. Michael Seabright held on October 31, 2011, a second 10(j) injunction order and a contempt order were issued against Pacific Beach Hotel owner HTH Corporation.

The injunction, dated November 21, 2011, required HTH Corporation to: rehire illegally fired union supporter Rhandy Villanueva, restore housekeepers’ room assignments to 15-16 rooms a day, lift the ban on negotiations spokesperson Dave Mori’s and Carmelita Labtingao’s access to the hotel, provide the union with information needed for bargaining and representation, and convene an employee meeting on work time—so that HTH Corporation CEO Corine Watanabe or President John Hayashi could read the injunction order to employees.

The reading of the injunction took place on November 30, 2011. Approximately 90 percent of bargaining unit workers attended the meeting, even though notice of the meetings was given only two days in advance, the hotel did not post meeting notices—except for one hand-written notice in the bell department—and managers generally did not encourage workers to attend the meetings. Instead, ILWU negotiating committee members and core supporters spread the word to other workers to get them to attend.

HTH Corporation found to be in contempt 
The final decision on contempt charges against HTH Corporation was issued by Judge Seabright on November 29, 2011. The judge found both the company and HTH Regional Vice President of Operations Robert Minicola in contempt of court. HTH Corporation and Minicola were found to be in violation of an injunction order issued by Judge Seabright on March 10, 2010. The March 2010 injunction ordered the employer to, among other things, cease and desist from: refusing to recognize or bargain in good faith with the ILWU Local 142, discharging employees in order to discourage Union activities, unilaterally changing terms and conditions of employment, and in any other manner interfering with, restraining, or coercing employees in the exercise of their rights under the National Labor Relations Act.

Judge Seabright stated in his contempt order that “the Petitioner [NLRB] has established by clear and convincing evidence that Respondents [HTH Corporation] violated the March 29, 2010 Injunction,” and described the employer’s behavior as “bordering on farcical.”