Outstanding Unit, 1-29 members, Unit 1426-00 Big Island Federal Credit Union (l-r) Business Agent Francine Molina, Kevalle Lainaholo, Anuhea Chang, Kristine Gabriel , Tracy Branco, Pam Nachor, Jennifer Azevedo, Tricia Marie Ventura, Monica Hudman, Brenda Basque, Division Director Elmer Gorospe.
HONOLULU—ILWU members and retirees across the state are mourning the loss of a man who truly dedicated his life to building the union and serving its membership.
Retired ILWU Local 142 President Eddie E. Lapa, passed away on March 25, 2014. He is survived by his wife Emily T.; daughters Barbara Pennington, Pauline Lime, Angela L. Bugarin, Lucille Tashiro and Mary Lapa; 14 grandchildren; 10 greatgrandchildren; and three great-great grandchildren.
“One-to-one, worker-to-worker—that’s a big part of how we organize in the ILWU,” explained Wesley Furtado, International Vice President (Hawaii). This approach has worked for our Union over the years, including 2013 when over 500 new members were brought into Local 142 between September and November.
WAILUKU—The Grand Wailea ILWU negotiating committee met on January 3, 2014, at the ILWU Hall on 896 Lower Main Street in Wailuku to review and check the new contract for any errors before sending it for signature by the union and the company. The union committee makes sure the new contract correctly contains all the agreements made during negotiations and no other section of the contract has been omitted or altered.
Honolulu celebrated the Martin Luther King Day holiday with a parade through Waikiki and a rally at Kapiolani Park on Monday, January 20, 2014. ILWU Local 142’s Oahu Division again joined the march, which re-affirms the community’s commitment to social justice. In past years, ILWU participants held signs in support of workers at the Pacific Beach Hotel.
• Promote compliance with fair labor and employment standards within the tourism industry. No government assistance and/or funds should be given to any entity (i.e., hotel or resort; hotel, condominium rental or timeshare operator, including multi-property operators; or owner of a property or resort) that is in violation of such labor or employment standards.
• Support additional funding for tourism promotion with an emphasis on promoting neighbor island tourism.
• Support protection and enforcement of the “presumption clause” in the Workers’ Compensation Law to fulfill its original intent to provide compensation and medical treatment to workers injured on the job.
Oppose any legislation or rule-making that seeks to diminish the rights of injured workers, reduce workers’ compensation benefits, or take away eligibility for benefits to injured workers.
Establish a package of workers’ compensation benefit improvements in the interest of fairness to injured workers.
• Support the existing statewide school system that ensures equalization of opportunity in education, especially for rural Oahu and the neighbor islands.
• Oppose school voucher programs.
• Support implementation of incentives (including teacher housing) to reduce teacher turnover in rural areas.
• Support programs for drug awareness, teen pregnancy prevention, family crisis intervention, etc. in the public schools and the community.
MAKAWAO—Fairmont Orchid, representing Hawaii Division, beat Team Kauai, representing Kauai Division to win the ILWU 33rd Annual State Basketball Tournament. The tournament was hosted by Maui Division and played at the Eddie Tam Memorial Center on Saturday, December 14, 2013.
Several elected officials attended the dedication of Ah Quon McElrath’s plaque at the Wisteria Vista Senior Apartments, including U.S. Senator Mazie Hirono, Senate Committee on Economic Development, Government and Housing Chair Donovan Dela Cruz, State House Committee on Housing Chair Mark Hashem, and Representative Marcus Oshiro.