High school graduation for the class of 2020 had ceremonies that were a little different this year in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the Harriet Bouslog Labor Scholarship still awarded monies to deserving children, relatives, and grandchildren of our hardworking Local 142 members just like it has for the past 31 years.

Braeden Coloma 
Braeden’s grandfather Tom Poy worked at Hamakua Sugar on the Big Island.

Hannah Asano 
Hannah’s great-aunt is Amelia Among Rego, who worked at Dole.

COVID-19, the illness produced by the novel coronavirus is showing no signs of slowing down in Hawaii and across the world. Even though more testing would logically lead to a higher number of cases, the rate relative to those proportions is still steadily climbing. Until a viable vaccine comes along, face masks, along with physical distancing, remain the most effective tools we have for reducing spread of the virus.

ILWU Local 142 endorses Joe Biden for President

Pictured at left is Joe Biden in December ‘19 at the ILWU interview of presidential candidates at their headquarters in San Francisco. Pictured at right is Local 142 President Donna Domingo and our future President of the United States.

ILWU Local 142 released the complete list of the union endorsed candidates for congressional, state and county races for this year’s Primary Election (see page 8).

The officers and rank-and-file members of the ILWU Political Action Committee (PAC) endorse candidates only after a thorough vetting process. The committee interviews candidates and reviews their positions on issues that matter to working people.

With workers nationwide demanding more fair treatment, hours, and safety measures during the Covid-19 pandemic, people are waking up to seeing how important the working class is to the lifeblood of this country — and by extension — unions.

Unions have historically fought for many of the things non-union workers are demanding right now - benefits such as paid sick leave, better safety regulations, and overall more fair treatment from companies set by a legally binding contract.

As the saying goes, “If you don’t ask, you’ll never know.” Here at ILWU Local 142, we want our members to be in the know. As a member of ILWU Local 142, you can rest assured that one of the Division Clerks will answer your call at every Division Office from 8 am to 4 pm, Monday through Friday.

ILWU International Vice President (Hawaii) Wesley Furtado passed away on March 15, 2020 at the age of 64. Wes rose from humble beginnings as a secondgeneration longshore in a working class family who became a widely respected leader within the ILWU and the labor movement for his fierce commitment to unions, devotion to social justice and considerable organizing and negotiating skills.

President, I remember having a meeting with the Titled Officers to go over roles and responsibilities. Wes was by far the best organizer I have ever seen. For me to tell him how to do his job would be crazy. He knew everything better than anyone out there.” Big Bob concluded, “With Wes’ passing, the ILWU lost a great labor leader. And for me, I lost a great friend.”