A new law passed by the Hawaii State Legislature allows workers to use their own sick leave days to care for their seriously ill child or other family member. The law took effect on July 1, 2003, and applies to all employers with 100 or more employees.

George Bush and his administration are pushing another trade deal which threatens to destroy more U.S. jobs. The “Free Trade Area of the Americas” is expected to be finalized in 2004 and be fully implemented by the end of 2005. The agreement is with 31 countries of North, South, Central America
and the Caribbean (Cuba was not invited to participate).

Fresh Del Monte Produce Inc., the parent company of Del Monte pineapple operations on Oahu, reported record sales and profits for the first quarter of 2003. In a press release issued on April 29, 2003, the company announced a record breaking $107 million in gross profits from sales of $643.8 billion in the first quarter of 2003.

A weak economy, accounting irregularities like overstating profits, too much debt, and growing too rapidly has led to record levels of corporate bankruptcies in 2001 and 2002. There were 257 corporate bankruptcies in 2001, a record for the largest number of bankruptcy filings in a single year. In 2002, there were only 187 filings but the value of the assets involved, $368

Hawaii ILWU members received the May 2003 Dispatcher instead of the April issue of the Voice of the ILWU. This is a one time occurrence and was necessary because the May Dispatcher contained important information about the upcoming International Elections.

Preliminary data on visitor arrivals from the State’s Department of Business and Economic Development and Tourism show a
dramatic and ominous decline in tourism numbers since the U.S. war on Iraq. The decline in visitors from Japan is most
dramatic, dropping by an average of 34 percent since March 19, 2003 when the U.S. began to bomb Iraq.

HONOLULU—Worker representatives from nine ILWU organized auto dealers met for two days at a state-wide caucus in Honolulu on May 29-30, 2003, to talk about common problems they face as workers in the auto industry and to propose changes to strengthen the language in their union contracts. They were also joined by the full-time business agents who service auto units.

The caucus was chaired by Richard Desmond, from Schuman Carriage, and secretary Kenneth Ige, from Servco Pacific.

Pasha Hawaii Transport Lines (PHTL) is scheduled to enter the West Coast-Hawaii shipping market in late 2004 with the Jean Anne, a brand-new, $70 million U.S. made ship, specifically designed to handle cars and trucks. The highly specialized cargo ship is called a “pure car and truck carrier” (PCTC) and the one being built for Pasha by VT Halter Marine Yard in Pascagoula, Mississippi, will have the capacity to carry as many as 4,300 cars, buses or trucks. The 579 foot vessel will have 10 decks and a 100-ton stern ramp which will allow cars to be driven on and off the ship.

Local 142 Hawaii played an important and progressive role in setting the direction of the International ILWU for the future.

Millions of retirees are forced to choose between paying for food and paying for soaring costs of prescription drugs. This week, the Senate will be debating a bill that could make matters even worse for millions of retirees.