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New triennium, new energy for Local 142

Ready for action. The Local 
welcomes a new Division 
Director and a new International 
Vice President for Hawaiʻi. What 
will the new faces bring to Local 
142?
    

The results are in, and the 2025
2027 triennium begins with one 
new Division Director and a host of 
other newly elected members. Maui 
had the most contested elections, 
which resulted in new leadership. 

Local 142 will also feel the effects of 
leadership change at the International 
level, with Brandon Wolff winning a 
contested election against Sam Kreutz 
for the position of International Vice 
President, Hawaiʻi.

New Maui Division Director
Business Agent Stephen West will 
step in as the new Maui Division 
Director following the retirement 
of current Division Director Robert 
Andrion Jr. Stephen West, who comes 
from the Grand Wailea Resort and has 
served as a Business Agent for many 
years, ran against John Simpliciano, 
a seasoned Business Agent from the 
Kaʻanapali Beach Hotel.

When asked about his vision for 

Maui as the new Division Director, 
West replied, “Together, we’ll 
empower Maui Division through 
member education, inclusiveness, and 
engagement, returning to a bottom
up organization where every voice 
matters. I plan to help every Unit in the 
Maui Division set goals for political 
and community action that will lead 
to stronger outcomes for our members 
and their families.”

Titled Officers turn a corner
Leaving their freshmean term as 
a team behind, the current Titled     
Officers are moving into a new 
triennium. When asked about his 
vision for the next triennium, President 
West shared, “Our focus continues to 
be strengthening a bottom-up union. 
We were built on a solid foundation, 
and that foundation is our Units.”

President West outlined the plan, 
which emphasizes Unit officer training 
in 2025, continuing to expand the 
stewards program, and increasing local 
support for Unit contract campaigns, 
particularly with negotiations and 
mobilization efforts.

    —continued on page  7    
New triennium, new energy for Local 142
As the Trump administration takes office, Corporations target Workers’ Rights
The Trump administration’s 
arrival has emboldened some 
of America’s biggest corporations 
to attack workers’ rights. Amazon, 
SpaceX, and Trader Joe’s all have 
lawsuits in federal court arguing that 
the National Labor Relations Board 
(NLRB) is unconstitutional. The 
NLRB interprets and enforces labor 
law, playing a critical role in protecting 
workers’ rights, including the right to 
form or join unions.
    
Bad Reaction to workers rising
These lawsuits against the NLRB 
are a reaction to historic union 
drives that have been sweeping the 
United States for over two years now. 
Amazon warehouse workers and 
drivers, Tesla autoworkers, and Trader 
Joe employees are leading major 
unionization efforts. In response, these 
companies—well-known for their 
union-busting tactics—are attempting 
to dismantle the labor protections that 
enable organizing.

In essence, corporate giants are 
aiming to gut labor protections 
entirely, striking at the heart of worker 
power.

The NLRB and the U.S. President
The President of the United States 
holds significant influence over the 
NLRB’s direction, as the President 
appoints the five-member board. 
These appointments shape whether 
the board leans toward supporting 
workers’ rights or corporate interests. 
Currently, there is one vacant seat on 
the board, and an additional seat will 
expire in each year of the upcoming 
administration. By the end of President 
Trump’s term, all five board members 
could be Trump appointees.

Trump, labor, and corporate elites
The President-elect’s appointments 
thus far reflect a strong alignment 
with corporate elites and billionaires, 
though there is  indication of potential 
support for working-class interests. 
Here are two key figures to watch:

Elon Musk’s anti-labor agenda
Elon Musk, perhaps the world’s most 
—continued on page  8
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Hawaiʻi Division
(808) 935-3727

Kauaʻi Division
(808) 245-3374

Maui Division
(808) 244-9191

Oʻahu Division
(808) 949-4161

Hawaiʻi Longshore Division
(808) 949-4161