Recent news stories and editorials have reignited the debate over the Jones Act, the century-old maritime law requiring that goods transported between U.S. ports be carried on American-built, American-owned, and American-crewed ships.
Opponents, including Hawai‘i Congressman Ed Case and the corporate-backed Grassroot Institute of Hawaii, have claimed that the Jones Act drives up prices and limits economic opportunity for island residents. But these arguments fail to hold water. Here’s what you need to know:
Workers at two major Big Island hotels—Outrigger Kona Resort & Spa and Hilton Waikoloa Village— are taking action to demand fair contracts. Faced with lowball wage
proposals, short staffing, and employer stalling, ILWU Local 142 members have mobilized in force, using picket lines to turn up the heat on their employers.
Pickets See Young Workers
On January 30, workers at Outrigger Kona held the first picket at a Hawaiʻi Division hotel in
“We get to wake up every morning and go to work for the people. That’s a privilege, and a serious responsibility.” This is how President Chris West opened the 2025 Full-time Officers Training - the first in the new triennium focused on education to strengthen the union from bottom to top.
The rhetoric around Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) is everywhere. Politicians and pundits claim that DEI is “divisive,” “woke,” or even “anti-American.” They argue it gives “special treatment” to certain groups or is part of some Marxist agenda.
For years, contract negotiations at Local 142’s tourism units followed a familiar pattern: management set the pace, and workers fought for whatever small improvements they could get. Beginning in 2022 and solidifying in 2024, ILWU Local 142 members have changed course. Across multiple bargaining tables, workers leveraged their unity, strategy, and sheer determination to win historic gains—reshaping expectations for what’s possible in contract fights.
Washington D.C. The weather was frigid but the team was on fire. For three days in early February, the ILWU Hawaiʻi International team hit the pavement in Washington D.C. meeting with all four Hawaiʻi Congressional representatives to advocate for Hawaiʻi’s working-class.
The ILWU Local 142 offers its full support and solidarity to the 1,800 Local 5 workers who began an indefinite strike against the Hilton Hawaiian Village this morning at 5 a.m.
The Hilton Hawaiian Village is the most profitable Hilton hotel on earth and it is the workers of the resort that make it so. These workers, as with all workers, deserve a contract that reflects respect for the workers who make the hotel run and shine for guests.
Delegates, observers, and guests of the ILWU Local 142 30th Statewide Convention.
Over 400 ILWU Local 142 members and guests gathered in Honolulu at the Hawai'i Convention Center to participate in the 30th Statewide Convention. For five days, elected union delegates from across all islands and industries made important decisions to help steer the union forward over the next three years.
Recent news stories and editorials have reignited the debate over the Jones Act, the century-old maritime law requiring that goods transported between U.S. ports be carried on American-built, American-owned, and American-crewed ships. 
“We get to wake up every morning and go to work for the people. That’s a privilege, and a serious responsibility.” This is how President Chris West opened the 2025 Full-time Officers Training - the first in the new triennium focused on education to strengthen the union from bottom to top. 
The rhetoric around Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) is everywhere. Politicians and pundits claim that DEI is “divisive,” “woke,” or even “anti-American.” They argue it gives “special treatment” to certain groups or is part of some Marxist agenda. 
For years, contract negotiations at Local 142’s tourism units followed a familiar pattern: management set the pace, and workers fought for whatever small improvements they could get. Beginning in 2022 and solidifying in 2024, ILWU Local 142 members have changed course. Across multiple bargaining tables, workers leveraged their unity, strategy, and sheer determination to win historic gains—reshaping expectations for what’s possible in contract fights.
Washington D.C. The weather was frigid but the team was on fire. For three days in early February, the ILWU Hawaiʻi International team hit the pavement in Washington D.C. meeting with all four Hawaiʻi Congressional representatives to advocate for Hawaiʻi’s working-class. 
