130 Unit Officers recently completed a round of Unit Officer training put on by Local 142. This round of trainings will finish this summer with more rounds possible later this year. This issue of The Voice focuses on the Unit structure covering the training, sharing with readers the fundamental roles within the Unit, and encouraging members to get more involved.

For the first time in decades, ILWU Local 142 brought Unit Chairs, Secretaries, and Treasurers together across the islands for a historic round of Unit Officer Trainings. In mid-May, over 130 Unit Officers gathered—60 on Oʻahu for Hawaiʻi Division on Tuesday, 60 on Maui on Thursday, and 10 on Kauaʻi on Friday—for a full day of immersive, hands-on education designed to reignite one of the most critical structures in our union: the Unit. The Oʻahu Division training is currently being scheduled. 

Why the Need?

 Any ILWU member who reads The Voice, attends meetings, or follows any source of union communications hears the message that the ILWU is a “bottom- up” union like a broken record. But until Local leadership pushed to re-fund education, many Unit Officers had never been taught what it means to lead. While Treasurer trainings have long been part of the triennial rhythm of union education, the revival of a full training for Unit Officers marks a turning point. The funding for education was substantially increased at the 2024 Local Convention, in order to put resources to the restoration of the Unit structure. 

Titled Officers, this training was a critical step toward rebuilding the foundation of the union from the Unit level up. Understanding the Unit Structure The Unit Officer training covered how the Unit is situated within the entire governing structure of the ILWU. Officers were educated on the Unit structure, which includes Unit Officers, stewards, committees, and members. Few Units in Local 142 currently have a fully developed structure. For example, a Unit Executive Board (UEB) consists of the Unit Chair, Unit Vice Chair (a Unit may have more than one), Unit Secretary, and Unit Treasure. It includes a Stewards Council, and Chairs of committees. The training gave Unit officers in attendance a full picture of the Unit structure in order that goals may be set and courses charted to build a full UEB. The first section of the training brought officers into the big picture of the ILWU governance structure as well as the philosophy of member-driven unionism that the ILWU is so famous for.

Fundamental Skills Training 

The second portion of the training drilled down into the fundamental responsibilities of each officer as laid out in the Constitution. From there, officers learned and practiced skills to do the job. Chairs reviewed how to run meaningful meetings that give members a sense of purpose. Secretaries examined the craft of accurate, focused minutes and practiced real-time note-taking through a parliamentary role play. Treasurers were lead by Vice President Corinna Salmo-Nguyen and Secretary-Treasurer Mike Victorino Jr. who walked them through budget policy and practice, ranking expenses based on union priorities, and learning how to cross-check financial records. Members were also encouraged to participate in tough and honest conversations about member engagement. In one session, groups read through five reasons “Why No One Comes” to union meetings and debated which applies most to their Unit. Others shared stories of powerful, high-turnout meetings— during a contract fight, during a crisis, or after a strong campaign. From these stories, participants pulled out key insights and identified the “low-hanging fruit” they could act on immediately to transform their next meeting.

Charting the Course 

The final section focused on building structure within the Unit. Participants learned how to chart their workplaces— mapping departments, shifts, and leaders within their Units—and began building a plan to strengthen their steward programs. Armed with highlighters, charting templates, and colored stickers, each group created a visual map of power and gaps inside their Units. Green for active stewards. Yellow for potential leaders. Blank spaces where more organizing is needed. Each training wrapped with next steps: filling Unit Executive Boards, strengthening the steward system, and plotting out a negotiations and mobilizing calendar. 

Local Focus on UEB and Stewards

 The goal for 2025 is to have full Unit Executive Boards that are trained in their duties and understand the Local 142 program. This will require another round of training later in the year as well as ongoing support for Unit Officers coming from the Divisions and the Local. Stewards are also part of the Unit Executive Board so the Unit Officer training is connected to the round of steward trainings that are also currently in motion. Hawaiʻi and Kauaʻi Divisions held theirs in April and the Maui and Oʻahu Division trainings are set for June. While the Divisions are responsible for recruiting new stewards and working with Local staff to set dates, the Local is working with Divisions to build a program that ensures ongoing support for developing stewards by rebuilding steward councils. The goal is to have one steward opposite each line supervisor at every Unit. Local 142 is sending a clear message to all members: we are not content to rely on the strength of the past. We are rebuilding power from the bottom up. The aim is simple but ambitious: a strong, democratic, fighting Unit in every shop.

Message from the President: Build Unit Structure 

Aloha, brothers and sisters, my name is Chris West, and I’m the president of ILWU Local 142. I’d like to welcome all of you to Local 142’s Unit Officer Training and thank all of you for stepping up to the challenge of leading your unit. I want to take a moment today to talk about something essential to the future of Local 142, and that is the need to rebuild our unit structure. In order for this great union to run as it was designed from the bottom up, the unit structure must be rebuilt, and it starts with you—our unit leadership. 

Our union’s power has never come from the top down. It has always come from the strength of its members. Organized at the unit level, a unit structure is what keeps us grounded. It’s how we stay connected to the issues that matter most to the workers on the front line—it’s where real solidarity is built. But none of that works without strong leadership in our units. 

We need members who are willing to step up, take ownership, and lead their coworkers with integrity and courage— leaders who are engaged, informed, and unafraid to take action when our rights are threatened or our contracts are not respected. 

Strong unit leadership means more than just holding a title, it means listening to your members, building trust, and being present-- not just when things go wrong-- but all the time. It means showing younger workers what it means to lead, and passing down the knowledge and values that have kept this union strong for generations. 

Rebuilding our unit structure is how we stay prepared for negotiations, organizing, political challenges, and for the fights that we haven’t yet seen -- as strong leadership is the engine that makes this whole Local move. 

Today, you will get the training you need to lead your unit into becoming a pillar of strength in your division, and this Local. If we want to protect what we’ve built and grow stronger for the future, we must invest in, and support strong leadership today. 

Stronger units, stronger leaders, stronger union. Let’s build it back together. Mahalo.