Takeshi Kouchi in 1959.

Retired ILWU business agent Takeshi “Take” Kouchi passed away on December 23, 2007. He was 79 years old. “Take” was born on February 26, 1928 and graduated from Hilo High School in 1946, a year after World War II ended. He served in the US Army, then found a job as a grocery clerk in 1953 at the Market City Foodland on Harding Avenue in Kaimuki. It was the first Foodland Super Market opened by the Lau Kun Family and their manager, Maurice Sullivan, in 1948.

The Market City Foodland was the newest concept in food retailing, which was expanding across the United States. It was a one-stop store which sold meats, produce, canned and dry goods under one roof. It was no longer necessary to go to a butcher to buy your meats, to a farmers market to buy fruits and vegetables, or to a bakery to buy bread. The store was an immediate success, and crowds were so large that the front door had to be controlled, letting only a few people come in at a time. Foodland expanded rapidly and by 1959 there were 9 stores with over 400 employees on Oahu.

“Take” helped organize Foodland workers into the ILWU in 1958. Other unions were also trying to organize the company, but Foodland workers voted overwhelmingly for the ILWU. In an election held on November 25, 1958—205 voted for the ILWU, 14 voted for the meatcutters, 1 person voted for the retail clerks, and 66 voted “no union.” On May 1, 1959, the ILWU reached agreement on the first union contract with Foodland.“Take” quickly rose to leadership in the Foodland Unit and served onz

“Take” quickly rose to leadership in the Foodland Unit and served on the union’s negotiating committee in 1961. In 1962, “Take” was elected chairperson of the Foodland Unit, which had grown to 15 stores and one warehouse on Sand Island. By that time, “Take” was the head stock clerk of the Aina Haina Foodland.

Unlike most ILWU units, Foodland had members working in sixteen different locations all over Oahu. It would take tremendous organizational skills and leadership to build the newly organized Foodland Unit. But “Take” took on the challenge and succeeded. By his second term of office, the Foodland Unit had an officer or shop steward in every store, was publishing a news bulletin, and had a bowling team playing in the Oahu Division league. Foodland members were active in a number of committees, including membership services, sports, medical and welfare, and political action.

“Take” was elected to the ILWU Local Executive Board and International Executive Board. He was appointed Oahu Division Representative, then elected as a business agent in 1976. He serviced Oahu general trades units, including Foodland and Love’s Bakery.

As a business agent, “Take” drew upon his experience as the chairperson of Foodland. He believed the union had to go beyond handling grievances and negotiating contacts. He cultivated a network of rank and file members in each of his units and worked patiently to get them more involved in union activities. He spent a lot of time with his unit officers and encouraged them to hold regular membership meetings, to organize social events to bring members together, to form teams to play in the ILWU sports league, and to help with the union’s political action program. “Take” helped his unit officers build solid, well rounded unit organizations that became part of their members’ lives.

After serving 15 years as a business agent, “Take” retired from the ILWU in 1991, when he was diagnosed with throat cancer. This was another challenge “Take” would fight and overcome. Retirement gave Takeshi the time to spend with his family and a growing number of new grandchildren.

HMA pledges exceptional service

For ILWU members at the Ka’anapali Beach Hotel, the Hyatt Regency Maui, the Hilton Waikoloa Village on the Big Island, the Grand Hyatt Kauai, Four Seasons Resorts Lanai and Castle & Cooke Resorts Lana’i.

Who do you call when you have a question or problem with your medical plan?

If you chose the Kaiser Plan, you would call Kaiser at 1(800) 966-5955. You wouldn’t call your ILWU business agent or the Human Resources Director at your hotel.

The same thing applies if you chose the Comprehensive Medical Plan. You would call HMA (Health Management Associates, Inc) at 1(866) 377-3977. This is the company hired by the ILWU Health & Welfare Trust Fund to run the comprehensive medical and prescription drug plan. HMA pays your medical claims, handles any disputes over your claims, and answers your questions about your benefits. Their website is www.hmahi.com.

HMA’s service has improved tremendously since January 2005, when the ILWU Health & Welfare Trust Fund first started. At that time, HMA handled Hawaii claims out of their Arizona headquarters, and there were some complaints from ILWU members about delays in getting their claims paid and difficulty in contacting HMA personnel.

The company had been doing business in Hawaii since December 2001, but the addition of thousands of ILWU members required a much larger staff in Hawaii.

Since then, HMA, Inc and its sister company Summerlin Life and Health Insurance Company have expanded their Honolulu office at 1440 Kapiolani Blvd, Suite 1020. Both businesses are owned by the i/mX Companies based in Tempe, Arizona.

Their staff includes: Harris Nakamoto, vice president and general manager; Gwen Suzuki-Oishi, manager of claims and customer service; Jun Jao, manager account services; Michelle Malamala, Akamai account coordinator.

“The Akamai Way” 
Today, HMA wants to provide an even higher level of customer service with a new program called “The Akamai Way.” Akamai is the Hawaiian word for smart, clever, wise or intelligent.

When you call HMA, ask for an Akamai representative. The Akamai representative will be your guide and assistant in leading you through a healthcare maze that can be confusing and frustrating. Instead of telling you to call someone else, Akamai representatives are specially trained to personally handle your problem or answer your questions from start to finish. If the Akamai representative can’t handle your problem immediately, they will take your name and phone number and call you back that same day. Their goal is to make same day call-backs.

The purpose of this program is to make your experience with HMA as easy and painless as possible by giving you a personal guide that can educate, offer options, and effectively find solutions for you. If follow up action is required, the Akamai representative will call you back a few days later to make sure your problem has been solved.

As you become more akamai about using your medical plan, you will find it easier to call the specialized HMA departments directly. If you have a problem with prescription medication, you would call Catalyst Rx at (888)869-4600.

If you need prior authorization or have a claims problem you would  know to call HMA at (866)377-3977. And if you’re not sure who to call, then call the Akamai Way Hotline at (866)331-5913 and an Akamai representative will be happy to assist you.