The thirty-fifth Convention of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union will be held beginning June 4, 2012 to June 8, 2012 at Del Coronado, in San Diego, California. On the basis of the International’s records to date, Local 142 will be entitled to 145 votes. (In accordance to Section 3 of Article XI, the voting strength is based on the average number of per capita payments on members for the 2011 calendar year. This calculation does not include per capita payments on non-members.)

All Divisions will be leaving on Saturday, June 2, 2012 in order to attend the Pre-Convention Caucus of Local 142. The Local 142 Delegate Caucus will be held on Sunday, June 3, 2012 at 3:00pm in the Coronet Room.

Honolulu Airport Hotel

The recent 5-year agreement ratified on February 17, 2012 at Honolulu Airport Hotel is an example of the Union moving forward with the objectives of the Tourism Caucuses.

“This contract shows the achievement of an organized unit working through negotiations with retirement medical benefits as well as the Health and Welfare Fund in mind,” reflects Oahu Division Business Agent Karl Lindo.

Unit Secretary/Editor Elizabeth Vistacion and Unit Chair Owen Castagan participated in the Tourism Caucus held on Maui, October 19, 2011 at the Maui Beach Hotel. It was at this caucus that they were able to set bargaining goals and learned the importance of focusing on pension and medical benefits for their upcoming negotiations. Taking what they learned back to their unit, Elizabeth and Owen explained the need to support a substantial increase in pension contributions when they negotiate their new union contract.

The Health and Welfare Fund also allows for the creation of a separate fund to provide medical benefits to retirees.

Highlights of the Honolulu Airport Hotel contract include a $1.40 nontip and a $.70 tip wage increase with a reopener in the third year, a $.50 pension increase and medical coverage with retiree benefits under the Union’s Health and Welfare Fund. This signifies the highest increase in pension of all our hotels.

The Ohana Airport Hotel union negotiating committee achieved a groundbreaking contract that sets the bar for upcoming hotel negotiations on the neighbor islands. Negotiating committee members were (l-r) spokesperson and Business Agent Karl Lindo, Unit Secretary/Editor Elizabeth Visitacion, Lee Ann Wong, Unit 2nd Vice Chair Timothy Manago, Unit 1st Vice Chair Kehau Oyamot-Maeha, and Unit Chair Owen Castagan.