Principle IV of the ILWU’s 10 Guiding Principles states, “To help any worker in distress” must be a daily guide in the life of every trade union and its individual members. Labor solidarity means just that. Unions have to accept the fact that the solidarity of labor stands above all else...”

Lately, members of Local 142 have exercised this principle, joining other unions to support their fight for their rights.

UFCW Meat and Fish Cutters Seek Wage Parity Fish and meat cutters at Mālama Market in Foodland, who are members of

Director. “Equal pay for equal work is a fundamental labor principle, and we’ll support them to the end.”

Kapiʻolani Nurse ULP Strike Nurses of Kapiʻolani Medical Center conducted a seven-day Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) strike from January 21st - 27th. The union can conduct a ULP strike when the employer violates the National Labor Relations Act. Unlike an “economic strike,” where the union walks out over negotiations, the employer cannot permanently replace union members during or for a ULP strike.

The Kapiʻolani nurses’ seven-day ULP strike came about when the employer,

weeklong strike.

Nani Ala, a ward clerk in the OCU at Straub, was one of the ILWU members who came to the picket line.

“It’s important to show our members in healthcare and the nurses of HNA that they are not alone. That we all stand as one. We talk a lot about solidarity, and this is what it means,” said Ala.

UH Graduate Assistants Recognized by HLRB as Public Employees

In early January, the Hawaiʻi Labor Relations Board ruled that graduate assistants at the University of Hawaiʻi are indeed public employees.

are on payroll, receive medical benefits, and are expected to carry out all the same instructional duties of unionized professors.

Unlike professors, though, without collective bargaining, graduate students have found themselves all these years without basic things like sick leave and protection from abusive supervisors.

In 2021, Academic Labor United (ALU), the graduate student organization formed four years prior to organize graduate assistants, sued the state of Hawaiʻi for recognition as public employees.

This ruling came after 50 years of graduate assistants fighting for such recognition. The University of Hawaiʻi, in an equally long effort to bust grad assistant unionization, argued that graduate assistants were not employees but rather student help. Under state law, public employees are entitled to collective bargaining, but thus far, neither the university nor the state has recognized them as public employees.

In April of 2023, the Hawaiʻi State Supreme Court signaled that graduate assistants are much more than “student help” and kicked their case over to the Hawaiʻi Labor Relations Board. HLRB ruled this January that graduate assistants are indeed public employees.

Next Steps for Graduate Assistants Academic Labor United is returning to the legislature to secure its own bargaining unit. Public sector unions are assigned bargaining units according to job groupings. A unique bargaining unit would allow graduate assistants to bargain a contract independent of other job groupings in the state and focus on issues specific to graduate students.

the United Food & Commercial Workers Union 480, held down a roughtly two month strike. Their main issue was wages. They sought wage equity with the Keaʻau Foodland workers who make $25.05 an hour compared to their $14.00 an hour. That’s an $11.05 difference. Annually, this wage gap is the difference between a $29,000 gross income and a $52,000 gross income.

Pāhoa Mālama Market meat and fish cutters say they don’t earn a living wage. One picket sign read, “I work here but I can’t afford to live here.”

Members from the ILWU’s Hawaiʻi Island Division have joined their union brothers and sisters on the picket lines several times since the strike began in November 2023.

“It’s a no-brainer to show up in support of the striking UFCW workers,” said Elmer Gorospe, Hawaiʻi Island Division

Hawaiʻi Pacific Health, suddenly changed the dress code policy to bar nurses from wearing yellow union pins that read “Safe Staffing Saves Lives.” Nurses removed the message and instead wore plain yellow stickers. The employer directed them to remove the stickers as well.

Under Section 7 of the NLRA, all workers have the right to wear union insignia at work. So the Hawaiʻi Nurses Association filed Unfair Labor Practice charges against Hawaiʻi Pacific Health over the sudden union-busting change in the dress code policy and held a seven day strike.

President Chris West, Oʻahu Division Director Mike Yamaguchi, Oʻahu Division BAs, and members from ILWU Unit 4402, Straub medical workers joined the Kapiʻolani nurses on the picket line throughout the