HONOLULU — The 9th Labor Institute transformed the quiet halls on Atkinson Drive into a bright launching pad for the week of January 29 - February 2, 2018, thanks to the 136 members across all divisions who showed up to learn and grow as union leaders.
“Who thinks workers get a fair share of the profits they create?” asked instructor Stephen Lerner right off the bat.
“Who can just hear their boss saying, ‘I wish unions like ILWU would just disappear, so then I could do whatever I want!’?” continued Lerner.
What’s at stake
You could hear a pin drop in the room as members grew more and more disturbed as instructor Jono Shaffer segued from Lerner’s questions into a presentation about Trump packing his cabinet with the wolves of Wall Street, and research showing hotel consolidation reaching an all-time high.
“Wealth and power are concentrated in the hands of fewer and fewer people...and if that’s not bad enough, it’s the 1% running politics so they get more tax breaks, too...We need to turn this moment of peril into a moment of opportunity,” said Shaffer.
“I didn’t even know we were for sale,” said Heidi Namauu (Unit 2520 Grand Wailea Resort), referring to the presentation that showed which hotels are up for grabs by corporate consolidation (Grand Wailea was just bought by financial group Blackstone). “But everyone is for sale for the right price. I’m going to learn all I can so the workers who actually make these hotels run can have a say in what’s right.”
“I can see how they’re (management) trying to divide us,” said Ron Johnson (Unit 2516 Hyatt Regency Maui). “But I make sure I talk story with people working at other hotels anyway, because we know we’re owned by the same corporation. What’s coming down their pipeline will head our way, too. We need teeth in our contracts and we can see how just one word changes the whole bargain.”
Members in the Core Class “How to Educate your Members and the Bosses About Anything” doing yoga as a way to connect to their true power. “How long does it take for someone to form an initial impression of you? Studies show it’s only 10-15 seconds. In those seconds, your whole body is perceiving the encounter, not just your brain. Yoga helps you get into this larger way of being, which means more ways to connect authentically and successfully,” said instructor Tracy Chang.
Empowerment through education I
nstead of feeling powerless and defeated by an economic reality that thrives on greed, the members were not ready to back down so easy. Their winning attitude could be summed up in Henry Velasco’s (Unit 4203 Matson Maintenance) response to the teachers that morning: “How do we fight back?”
to be continued in next issue with updates on how members are applying what they learned here...we’re just getting started!
Keep your eyes on the prize... ORGANIZE!
(pictured above is Lawrene Noelani Rasmussen Unit 1515 Fairmont Orchid chanting and singing along on the last day of the Institute).
“When it comes to big business, I’m thinking of the 2008 bailout... if they see that they will get bailed out anyway, what kind of accountability will they have? Unions need to hold them accountable,” said Gabrielle Pacheco, clockwise from bottom left (Unit 1426 Hilo Federal Credit Union)
continuing clockwise: Jonarene Agbisit Unit 3410 Wilcox Medical Center, Diana Lopez Unit 3410, Malisa Fely Unit 1417 Hawthorne Pacific Corp., and Jovena Moses Unit 1414 Punaluu Bake Shop).
All the core classes (classes held Tuesday - Friday from 8:30 am-11:30 am: Mobilizing for Collective Bargaining; Make Your Unit Strong!; Advanced leadership Skills; How to Educate your Members and the Bosses about Anything; Winning in the Workplace) did an interactive demonstrative presentation to highlight the main things they learned all week. From explaining different personality types to simulated marches in the street, all the presentations resonated profoundly: We are stronger together!