Along with this ownership of wealth comes control and influence over the political system. While the wealth of the one percent has grown, the conditions for the vast majority of people have worsened, with more people unemployed, living in poverty, carrying greater debt, and struggling to make a living.

Participants from the Unit 2520 - Grand Wailea Resort discuss their plan and timeline for mobilizing members around contract issues. (L-r, standing) Steve West, Jason Medeiros, Michael Friday, Henry Oandasan, and Valerie Salmon. (Sitting) Helene “Lei” Kaiahua-Sado, Robert Apo, Merlina Valdez, and Perlita Manlansing.

In the afternoon session, the Tourism Caucus focused on how to prepare for negotiations. Officers from two hotel units—the Hilton Waikoloa Village and the Hyatt Regency Maui— explained what they are doing to organize and mobilize their members.

Hilton Waikoloa Village 
The Hilton Waikoloa Village on the Island of Hawaii is one of the ILWU’s largest hotels with close to 700 members. Their union contract expires in September 2013, but the unit has already begun to organize and mobilize their members.

You may qualify for partial unemployment benefits

In December 2008, Hawaiian Commercial and Sugar Company (HC&S) imposed a one-week furlough on all employees for either the week of December 8 or December 15. A full-time employee of HC&S went to the Unemployment Insurance office and was told the December furlough would be his waiting period and he would be paid for future furloughs. He believed the word of the unemployment officer and did not file a claim.

HONOLULU—Maui Division Business Agent Teddy Espeleta was invited as a guest of Maui Mayor Alan Arakawa to attend a welcome dinner reception for Philippine President Benigno “Noynoy” S. Aquino III on November 13, 2011. Nearly 1,000 local Filipinos welcomed the Philippine president at the reception held at the Hilton Hawaiian Village Hotel in Waikiki. The dinner was organized by the Philippine Consulate General and the Philippine Celebrations Coordinating Committee (PCCC).

(Above left) The ILWU gave away 1,500 hot dogs at the Oahu Labor Day Unity Picnic at the Waikiki Shell on September 4, 2011. (Above right) Kauai members celebrated Labor Day with a fishing tournament and get-together on September 11, 2011 (l-r) Clayton Silva, retired Business Agent Jesus Guirao, and retired Division Director Clayton Dela Cruz.

The boycott against HTH and the Pacific Beach Hotel continues with strong support from Japanese unions. International Vice-President Hawaii Wesley Furtado and Local 142 Secretary-Treasurer Guy Fujimura went to Japan from September 6-10, 2011, to attend the National Convention of Zenkowan and rallies arranged by the Japan supporters of the Pacific Beach Hotel boycott campaign. One rally was attended by 94 leaders from various Japan unions. They showed video recordings of some of the Pacific Beach Hotel workers thanking the Japanese unions for their support.

The National Federation of Dockworkers’ Unions of Japan (Zenkoku-Kowan) presented this report to update supporters and donors on the relief and reconstruction efforts by Japanese dock workers.

Our country has been badly affected by the big earthquake and tsunami on March 11 and subsequent nuclear accidents at the Fukushima nuclear power plant.

There is a wide-spread belief that the United States is a democratic, free, and fair country. Most Americans also mistakenly believe that these rights, spelled out in the U.S. Constitution, also protects them on the job. They are mistaken because these Constitutional rights only apply to government and does not apply to private employers at their place of business.

“Worker involvement in company decision-making strengthens a democratic, social and competitive Europe,” this is the main conclusion of the worker-participation website run by the European Trade Union Instititute. The following information comes from their website.