HONOLULU -- “I asked her why she was quitting,” said Jane Templin, an electrician from Washington attending the Summer Institute for Union Women.

I said, ‘Do you not like your job?’
She said, ‘No, I love it.’
‘Then why are you quitting?’ I asked.
‘My dad said he would rather me be a prostitute than a construction worker because at least that’s a woman’s job.”

at least that’s a woman’s job.” On June 28-July 1, 2017, nine women from Local 142 attended the Summer Institute for Union Women (SIUW) at the Ala Moana Hotel. Over 200 rankand-file women from Hawaii, the West Coast and Canada attended.

One of the attendees from Local 142, Katherine Miyamoto of Unit 4404 Serta Simmons Bedding, LLC noted stories like the one above as one of the most important aspects of the Institute.

“Just listening to that lady over there (referencing Templin), and the stories she shared was so amazing to me. She said before they had a union, women would be fired just for being pregnant. I couldn’t believe that. I’m so glad to be here, so I can tell women like that, Mahalo for going through what you went through. We take it for granted; people went through so much before they had the union to help them.” 

In-depth curriculum 
The participants from Local 142 split into two study groups, with one attending the Women in Leadership seminars and the other attending Collective Bargaining in Tough Times.

Why feminism? 
The first SIUW was held in 1998. Current Local President Donna Domingo attended in 1998 as a trustee and noted in her keynote speech on June 28 that the women-only institute is still necessary in these times.

Pictured at left is Local 142 President Donna Domingo giving her keynote speech, which received a standing ovation from the audience of union women from the West Coast, Canada, and other unions in Hawaii. Pictured on the right is Shawna Rapoza from Unit 4209. In the brick wall exercise, the women discussed in groups obstacles they face as women that could contribute to the brick wall they need to get over. “Lack of confidence” made her group’s list as a major obstacle women face, in addition to being mentioned by all the other groups as a problem. Later in the exercise, the instructors handed out cut-out leaves to represent a vine growing over the wall, to write on the ways they could overcome the wall. Mentoring came up on every group’s leaf, or as one group put it, “fem-toring!”

“You have your beginners here who are so willing to learn, said Lolohea Kava from Unit 2505 the Westin Maui. “They’re just being introduced. And then you have those who are knowledgable and willing to share. That’s what I love about this.” L-R: Kava, Corin Kekua, Tristie Licoan, Noelani Rasmussen.

“When I ran for president, people could see a woman being vice president. But president? That’s a different story...Til this day my Oahu Division is still all male.”

One does not have to look far to spot gender imbalances in positions of power. Maledominated spaces seem to be the status quo. Even in democratic structures like the union.

“Just think, the boss has all the power, except for the power the union negotiates away,” said instructor Joey Hartman in the bargaining class.

One could say that in a maledominated world, men have all the power, too, except for the power women have negotiated and continued to fight for.

Thankfully, the union gives people plenty practice in the art of negotiating, and its ideals of equality support these avenues of support for those who may be marginalized; as our motto goes, injury to one is an 'An injury to all.”

Bonding over struggle 
In an activity in the Women in Leadership seminar, the participants were given sheets of paper printed as bricks. The women were asked to write obstacles women face on the bricks to create a wall.

Without fail, each of the nine groups labeled their bricks with CONFIDENCE as a major struggle women face.

“When I got into Longshore, it’s mostly men,” said Melanie