Back in the day, locally owned coffee companies lined the streets facing San Francisco’s waterfront. Longshore Local 10 members literally rolled sacks of beans across the street for roasting and shipping by warehouse Local 6 members. 

Now just one of those local coffee companies remains, and it has moved to Oakland.

Light manufacturing has gone the way of coffee and the Warehouse Division has hemorrhaged members up and down the Coast. Longshore work has changed as well, though membership has held steady.

WAHIAWA—The parking lot is spacious—and needs to be—to accommodate the constant flow of excited visitors to Dole Plantation. The first thing you see is a beautifully landscaped slope leading up to the large main building, the word “Dole” spelled out in colorful foliage against the green lawn. ILWU members are responsible for maintaining all of the grounds at Dole Plantation.

Students of Maui’s King Kekaulike High School will soon be getting the inside scoop on what it’s like to work as a business agent for a union. Maui ILWU division director William Kennison is scheduled to speak to the students as part of the school’s career day program this semester.

Frozen or fresh baked bread?

ILWU members at Love’s Bakery are negotiating a new labor agreement and the company wants cuts in wages and benefits. The company claims the cuts are needed because of stiff competition from frozen bread. Grocery stores are selling the thawed, previously frozen bread which comes from the mainland on the same shelves as the fresh baked bread produced by Love’s Bakery.

Hawaii Division Sports Coordinators Roy Jardine (left) and Richard Kaniho (right) with Bully Kahalioumi of Transcontinental Corp., who took second place in the Men’s A Flight as well as winning the Fred Paulino Memorial Men’s Low Gross Award.

We take for granted that the foods we eat and the drugs we take are safe and won’t poison us or make us sick. This confidence is the result of almost 100 years of needed government regulation of the quality and safety of our food supply. Some of these regulations are mandatory, some are voluntary, and some give consumers a choice by providing information.

 Are our food and drugs safe?

In September 2004, drug manufacturer Merck voluntarily withdrew its anti-inflammatory drug Vioxx from the market. A long-term study of the drug found an increased risk of serious heart attacks and strokes. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a Public Health Advisory to inform patients of this action and to advise them to consult with a physician about alternative medications.

HONOLULU—When you buy a fresh island egg, many people benefit. You get the freshest product for your family. Hawaii’s egg farmers have a market for their products, which helps our economy. And the employees at Eggs Hawaii, Inc. have work to do—cleaning, processing and delivering island eggs to our supermarkets.

A state inspector is present every day at the Eggs Hawaii production plant to check that quantity (size or weight), quality (grading) and sanitation requirements are met.

LIHUE and PEPEEKEO, Hawaii—Kauai swept both ILWU statewide softball tournaments held in 2004—the 49th Annual Fast-pitch Tournament held in Kapaa on May 15 and the 19th Annual Slow-pitch Tournament held in Pepeekeo on September 25.

Kauai Coffee beat Oahu’s Weyerhaeuser 23-9 and Hawaii’s Mauna Lani 7-1 in round-robin play to earn the fast-pitch championship this spring.

Led by the tremendous pitching of tournament Most Valuable Player Freddy Medeiros, Kauai Coffee proved itself to be the best among three very good teams.

HILO—Hawaii Division hosted the 48th Annual ILWU Mixed Bowling Tournament on Thanksgiving weekend, November 26-27, 2004. The tournament was dominated by Big Island bowlers, who made up most of the teams, although Maui Division sent several good teams to participate.

After two days of bowling at Hilo Lanes, participants were treated to an awards banquet held at the ILWU’s Harry Kamoku Union Hall. The tournament committee prepared a delicious buffet, and arranged for live music by local group “Smooth".