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.
The working class has no interest in war. Only in a stable, secure, peaceful world can the ILWU, or any other union, hope to be able to fight for and win those improvements in the lives of the members to which the trade union movement is dedicated.
ILWU policies and actions on foreign affairs have always been built on the belief that international labor solidarity and world peace are the cornerstones of social and economic justice for all workers, including the membership of the ILWU.
“Of all the enemies to liberty war is, perhaps, the most to be dreaded...”
These are the words of James Madison, who is often called the “Father of the Constitution” because many of his views about
government became part of the U.S. Constitution. Madison also served as the 4th President of the U.S. from 1809 to 1817.
The Constitution of the United States
Article I. Section 8. The Congress shall have power to lay and collect taxes, duties, imposts and excises, to pay the debts and
provide for the common defense and general welfare of the United States; but all duties, imposts and excises shall be uniform
throughout the United States;
While most nations have reduced their military spending—including Russia, which has cut its military spending from $300 billion in 1988 to $45 billion today—the U.S. continues to divert vast sums of our tax dollars to increase military spending. The 2003 military budget of $414 billion is almost equal to the $451 billion that the rest of the world combined spends on defense, and 18 times more than the $22 billion spent by China.