Nearly 200 ILWU members showed up to the Hawaiʻi Democratic Party Convention. They came from every island and from nearly every industry represented by the union—Longshore, Tourism, Pineapple, and General Trades. They came as delegates for the party’s biennial convention, where i
The 2026 legislative session was one of the most demanding and fast-paced in recent memory for ILWU Local 142. Across our diverse trades and industries, our members faced a wave of legislation with significant implications for jobs, workplace protections, and local industries. Th
The entire nation is watching Hawaiʻi right now. With the strong support of the ILWU Local 142, this year, Hawaiʻi lawmakers did something no other state has dared to do. Governor Josh Green signed Senate Bill 2471 into law, making Hawaiʻi the first state in the country to restri
For two days in May, elected delegates from across Hawaiʻi gathered at the ILWU Local 142 hall in Honolulu to take on a critical task: preparing the General Trades industry for the challenges ahead. Held May 13-14, the General Trades Caucus brought together 83 delegates represent
Members of the ILWU bargaining unit at Haliʻimaile Pineapple on Maui have reached a new three-year agreement that delivers major gains in wages, healthcare, leave protections, and union rights — marking one of the strongest contracts in recent years for the unit. The agreement, w
After 25 years of service, ILWU Local 142’s Lead Organizer Ron Clough retired in January, closing out a career that spanned every island and touched thousands of workers. From his beginnings as a rank-and-file worker in an organizing drive to becoming one of the Union’s most experienced organizers, Ron’s journey reflects the heart of the ILWU, one that is worker-led, grounded, and built on relationships.
We sat down with Ron to reflect on his time with the ILWU Local 142.
Rain couldn’t slow down the spirit in Hilo at Harry Kamoku Hall this February. Despite the weather, pensioners, members, officers, and staff showed up strong for the Hawaiʻi Division Recognition Awards Banquet—proving once again that nothing keeps union members from showing up for each other.
Workers at the Point at Poʻipū have secured a strong new union contract after months of negotiations and organizing, marking a major victory for members of International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 142 on Kauaʻi.
The new four-year agreement delivers meaningful gains in wages, working conditions, and job protections. Most notably, workers have successfully raised standards at the property, moving from among the lowest-paid in their classifications on island to among the highest. It is a clear example of what is possible when workers organize and fight collectively.
Kaua’i Coffee Company have cultivated more than coffee. They have built one of Hawai i's most iconic agricultural operations rooted in the land, sustained by local labor, and supporting hundreds of families across Kauai's West Side. Today, that legacy faces serious uncertainty.
On a quiet stretch of Maui’s north shore, where wetlands meet the sea and native birds rise from restored dunes, Maui Division members gathered. But not for their normal meeting or a picket. This time, it was to care for the land beneath their feet. At the historic Waiheʻe Coastal Dunes & Wetlands Refuge, members came together for the first-ever mālama ʻāina community work day, attended by Maui Division leaders and Grand Wailea member Richard Van Barringer.
Q: Can you start by telling us where you grew up and a little about your early life? A: I was born in Los Angeles in 1970 and grew up in Inglewood, California. My father is Hawaiian, Japanese, and Scottish from Maui, and my mother is Black and from Dallas. They met on a blind date.
After years of organizing, bargaining, and persistence, ILWU Local 142 has secured a major victory for working families. Effective February 1, 2026, approximately 3,800 members across 12 units covered by the ILWU Local 142 Health and Welfare Trust Fund will have access to retirement medical coverage—nearly one-quarter of the Local’s total membership. For thousands of working people in Hawaiʻi, this win means something profound and long overdue: the ability to retire without the fear of losing healthcare.
After years of organizing, bargaining, and persistence, ILWU Local 142 has secured a major victory for working families. Effective February 1, 2026, approximately 3,800 members across 12 units covered by the ILWU Local 142 Health and Welfare Trust Fund will have access to retirement medical coverage—nearly one-quarter of the Local’s total membership.