KAILUA—Luana Hills Golf and Country Club is a stunning combination of lush rolling hills, 100 foot tall trees and dense tropical rain forest. The course layout is done in the “links” style, with undulating greens and tight fairways. According to its website, Luana Hills Golf and Country Club is “spectacular and somewhat difficult, yet beautiful.”
Who keeps the course spectacular? The 17 ILWU members who work as groundskeepers, equipment operators, irrigators, and chemical applicators. “Only these many guys to maintain a full 18-hole course is an accomplishment,” said Unit Chair Sam Santos. “Because the course undulates a lot, the work is that much harder,” he explained. “It can be like a carnival ride cutting the grass, going up and down steep hills, and very hazardous.”
The workers, however have no complaints about the work that they do. Many enjoy being outdoors, especially in such a beautiful setting. They concentrate on doing the best possible job they can because they are proud to able to maintain this unique, difficult course.
If you are an ILWU member and enjoy golfing, consider supporting your fellow members at Unit 4421 - Luana Hills Golf and Country Club—patronize union shops!
Unit Chairperson Sam Santos has held that position for nine years. Santos, seen here with Business Agent Shane Ambrose, is a machine operator and cuts everything from the fairways to extreme roughs. “It’s important to help your fellow workers, and that’s why I’m involved in the union,” he said. “Just trying the represent the men—trying to help out.” Santos is a long-time employee who has been with Luana Hills Golf and Country Club for 14 years.
Part of Mauro Bali’s and Antonio Ruby’s job is to spray herbicides to keep the course free of weeds. Bali has worked for two years at the company and Ruby for three months. New ILWU member Ruby is positive about union membership. “I get good medical,” he said.
Alejandro Guira uses a high-powered blower to clear a pathway after tree-cutting work has been done. Guira has been at Luana Hills for six months. “It is a nice place to work. You can work hard—it is better to work hard,” he adds with a smile.
Grounds maintenance worker Jessie Guira (left) gathers his equipment onto a golf cart and prepares to return to the maintenance building to check out at the end of the day. Luana Hills workers have a six-day workweek with one full day off and two half days off. They start at 5:30 a.m. every morning. When asked about what it is like being a union member, Guira replied “It is good, because the union can help us when we need it.”
4421 - Luana Hills Golf & Country Club
• Location: 770 Auloa Road, Kailua, Hawaii
• Type of company: Golf course and country club with clubhouse and pro shop
• Industrial Grouping: General Trades
• ILWU members since 1994, when Luana Hills was known as Royal Hawaiian Country Club
• Total union membership: 17
• Bargaining unit makeup: Irrigation technician, chemical applicator, Equipment Operator I, Equipment Operator II, Groundkeeper I, Groundskeeper II, Building Maintenance Chief.
• Unit Officers/Stewards: Chairperson Samuel Santos, Treasurer William Calivozo
• Business Agent: Shane Ambrose
• The Luana Hills golf course was created by renowned course architect Pete Dye of Dye Designs. The course is a par 72. The front nine is carved into the slopes of Olomana, and the back nine is located in a tropical rainforest populated with rare native Hawaiian birds and other wildlife.
Antonio Estigoy, who has been at Luana Hills for three years, said “I like it here, the benefits are good. And we are like brothers working together—it’s good to have unity.”
Grounds maintenance worker Edgardo Cabrera stands next to a wood chipper powerful enough to take whole tree trunks more than a foot in diameter. Cabrera’s picture was used as part of a collage at the end of the new ILWU commercial currently airing on KITV.
One of Roland Espino’s jobs is to operate heavy equipment, like this backhoe. “I like being in a union because if I have a problem, they are there for me,” Espino said.
Unit Treasurer William Calivoso has worked for Luana Hills for 13 years, and has served as Unit officer since 2000. “The members need somebody to stand up for them,” he explained when asked why he became a unit officer.
Dominador Taleboc Jr. (two years), Teodoro Lutrania (eight years) and Larry Arceta (five years) are highly skilled grounds maintenance workers.