HONOLULU—February and March were busy months for the Local 142’s longshore division, as union members began mobilizing for upcoming contract talks with their employers. Collective bargaining agreements covering ILWU longshore members expire on July 1, 2002, and negotiations are set to begin between the West Coast ILWU and the employer group, the Pacific Maritime Association, in May.
After the West Coast agreement is concluded, Local 142 will start separate negotiations with Hawaii’s longshore employers. The Hawaii ILWU will seek the same wage and benefit levels set by the West Coast agreement and deal with the many issues unique to longshore operations in Hawaii.
These issues come from the fact that Hawaii’s longshore industry is actually made up of many parts. There are seven companies—Matson, Hawaii Stevedoring, McCabe Hamilton & Renny, Kahului Trucking, HT&T, CSX Lines, and Young Brothers. There are seven ports— Hilo, Kawaihae, Kahului, Honolulu, Kauai, Molokai, and Lanai. There are at least five operational groups - basic longshore, wharf clerks, maintenance, bulk sugar, and container freight.
So while there are 1,000 members in Local 142’s longshore grouping, they are organized into 24 distinct units. The units are strongly united as a longshore grouping, but they do have different concerns and issues based on their home port, the company they work for, and the work they perform. Building unity while allowing for different interests is one reason that the ILWU Constitution provides that the union’s negotiating committee for basic longshore shall be composed of 4 delegates from Oahu and one delegate each from Maui, Kauai, and Hawaii. Similar representation also applies to the negotiating committees for clerks, bulk sugar, and Young Brothers.
Steel tariff threatens pineapple workers
Union working with Maui Pineapple to seek exemption
KAHULUI—A 30 percent tariff on imported steel may threaten the future of Maui Land & Pineapple Company and the jobs of hundreds of ILWU members who work in the fields and cannery of the only remaining producer of 100% Hawaiian canned pineapple.
President Bush ordered the tariffs on certain imported steel products in March 2002, after the six-member US International Trade Commission voted to recommend tariffs to protect the US steel industry. The temporary tariff will be in effect for three years and is set at 15 percent for rebar imports and 30 percent for flat steel products. —continued on page 6
Maui Pineapple currently manufactures tin cans for pineapple from steel imported from Japan, which would be subject to the 30 percent tariff. The company, which posted losses from its pineapple division of $3.2 million on revenues of $97.4 million in 2001, estimates the tariff would increase canning costs by $800,000. The company reported an overall consolidated net income of $7.6 million for 2001 in its annual —continued on page 6
Hawaii tourism counts still down; Oahu and Maui hit hardest
HONOLULU—Visitors arriving in Hawaii were down by 12.9 percent for the months of January and February 2002 compared with the same period last year. Visitors coming from the Mainland were down by 4.2 percent, and international visitors were down by 26.8 percent.
Visitors did stay a little longer— about half a day longer—and spend a little more per day—$12, but this was not enough to offset the negative impact of fewer visitors.
Molokai actually had an increase of 14.3 percent in visitor arrivals, but Lanai was off by 2.7 percent. The Big Island was down by 5.4 percent, and Kauai was short by 6.6 percent. Maui saw a decline of 9.6 percent in visitor arrivals, but Oahu was the worst off with a drop of 18.3 percent for the year to date.
Average statewide occupancy rates for hotels were down by 11 percent, even though rooms were 3.5 percent cheaper. Oahu fared the worst with revenues per room down by 21.9 percent. Maui, Kauai, and the Big Island did better, but revenues per room for the neighbor islands was still between 11.7 and 13.3 percent less than last year. One factor affecting hotel occupancy was that more Japanese were staying on cruise ships and at bed and breakfasts instead of in hotels.
