HONOLULU—In the fall of 2004, a “waterfront coalition”—including the ILWU, Matson Navigation Co. McCabe Hamilton & Renny, Hawaii Stevedores Inc., Horizon Lines, Young Brothers Ltd., Sause Brothers, NCL America, and the A&B Foundation—came together to promote community awareness of crystal methamphetamine (“ice” or “crystal meth”) abuse by providing financial support for the Edgy Lee documentary “ICE II: Life or Meth.”
On Monday, June 6, 2005 a press conference and presentation was held at the Hawaii Employer’s Council on a new maritime industry drug prevention program, which the group plans to use to prevent and to fight substance abuse problems on the docks.
“What we’re trying to do here is prevention through education,” said ILWU longshore Unit Chairperson Nate Lum. “As a unit officer, I have seen first hand what happens when a worker has an addiction problem. They lose their money, their job—the whole family is affected. It really hurts me to see that happen. We have taken the initiative to start this program to educate workers and get them help if they need it so we can avoid that kind of situation.”
“The maritime industry is no more affected by the problems with ice and addiction than any other industry,” said Jeffrey Mueller, head of Recovery Works, the company that developed the drug prevention program. “The difference is,” Mueller explained, “it is a more lethal environment if someone has a problem with drugs, because of the dangerous nature of the work. The other difference is that the maritime industry is working proactively with us to address the problems of “ice” and addiction.”
A key part of the program is an educational video directed by Edgy Lee that features interviews with longshoremen who are currently in recovery from crystal meth addiction, national experts on meth addiction Dr. Linda Chang and Dr. Bill Haning, and NFL players who talk about teamwork and how it applies to the workplace.
Mueller will also conduct a multimedia workshop with ILWU members, which includes open discussion and a “reality check” exercise. Members will ask themselves questions such as “Do you ever feel guilty or regret how much or how often you use?” “Do you ever break promises to your loved ones or friends because of your habit?” and “Are you tardy or absent from work more than twice a month due to your habit?” The questions are aimed at helping people identify addictive behavior, as well as the severity of a substance abuse problem.
Lum made very clear that the goal of the program is to get workers who have addictions the help they need. “It is not a tool to punish the guys,” he emphasized. “This is a very positive program and a big step forward. But it is also a very sensitive issue. The workers must be able trust in order for this to work. So let’s all work together.”
Matson Navigation’s Gary North agreed. “On behalf of the industry— drug addiction is everyone’s problem. This program is not intended to penalize or punish anyone. We need to give people the benefit of the doubt. We need to help them.”
According to Recovery Works, this program is the first time in Hawaii that a coalition of union members and industry employers have joined together to address the “ice” epidemic and drug addiction with an ongoing employee assistance program. ◆
Oahu ILWU leaders and mainland officials attended a press conference on the Hawaii longshore industry’s new multi-media drug prevention program. (L-r, sitting) ILWU West Coast Alcohol Drug Recovery Program Director Jackie Cummings, Local President Fred Galdones, and ILWU West Coast Health and Welfare Benefits Specialist George Romero. (L-r, standing) project producer Jeffrey Mueller, Unit 4201 Chairperson Nate Lum, Unit 4201 Executive Board member David Anderson, Unit 4201 Vice Chair Elgin Calles, director Edgy Lee, Unit 4201 Secretary Kimo Brown, International Vice President Wesley Furtado, and Unit 4201 Executive Board member Dustin Dawson.
Jeffrey Mueller, Nate Lum and Edgy Lee discuss the importance of having a proactive program that helps workers instead of punishing them.
7th ILWU Labor Institute—continued from page 1
Kauai Division—Rhonda Nix works at the Hyatt Regency Kauai. “Okay class of 2005 let’s give ourselves a hand. I didn’t realize we had so many instructors. I want to thank all of my instructors for putting up with me. We learned in how to have an effective meeting—keep it short, simple, to the point. Thank you, Adrienne and PJ for spending time, extra time with me. Thank everybody for working so hard. Hopefully I can get my workplace to be believers and that’s all I have to say. Thank you very much.”
Guy Fujimura, Secretary-Treasurer of ILWU Local 142, closed the program with the following words. “Today at the 7th institute, we have over 100 people, and we feel there’s a commitment, a recommitment, and a new commitment by a lot of you to go out and continue to build the union, the ILWU. To go out and build the labor movement and continue to make it our movement. We’re looking at the future, we’re looking at protecting ourselves because we’re under attack, and at the same time we’re looking at growing and continuing to spread the word and the message.”
“No matter how you may feel back on the job where its kind of isolated, you should know there are a lot of people like you. Just look around Oahu ILWU leaders and mainland officials attended a press conference on the Hawaii longshore industry’s new multi-media drug prevention program. (L-r, sitting) ILWU West Coast Alcohol Drug Recovery Program Director Jackie Cummings, Local President Fred Galdones, and ILWU West Coast Health and Welfare Benefits Specialist George Romero. (L-r, standing) project producer Jeffrey Mueller, Unit 4201 Chairperson Nate Lum, Unit 4201 Executive Board member David Anderson, Unit 4201 Vice Chair Elgin Calles, director Edgy Lee, Unit 4201 Secretary Kimo Brown, International Vice President Wesley Furtado, and Unit 4201 Executive Board member Dustin Dawson. you—turn to the right and turn to the left—these are the people who are with you. There’s a lot of brothers and sisters around the country who are with you, and throughout the world. These are the people in struggle, who are trying to make the world better and make life better. And maybe that will carry you one day longer, because that is all we need to do—last one day longer than the other guy.” ◆