Conference delegates were shown detailed charts of how their wages and benefits compared with other ILWU hotels in the same “class”—luxury, deluxe, standard, or budget. Luxury hotels list most of their rooms at rates of over $500 a night. This is called a “published” or “rack rate” in the travel industry, and is usually much higher than the actual price charged by the hotel.

KANEOHE—“These ILWU members are taking care of the community everyday,” said Unit 4415 - Valley of the Temples Business Agent Shane Ambrose. Everyday, ILWU members who work at the memorial park take tender care of our loved ones who rest on the sloping green hills located at the foot of the Koolau mountains.

Utility worker and unit vice chairperson Troy Garcia digs graves, sets vaults in them, and covers them up with his backhoe. “I like the security of being in a union. If there is no union, the company can do whatever it wants. With a union contract, there are rules it has to follow.”

“Hawaii hotel occupancy down 6.5%”—July 6, 2007, Advertiser.

“Hawaii hotel occupancy rates fell for the 13th straight month in May”—July 7, 2007, Associated Press.

“More visitors seek nonhotel accommodations” —July 6, 2007, Pacific Business News.

Looking at the headlines, you would think the hotel visitor industry was in financial ruins, but reading further in each article there would be some facts that reveal the true story.

HONOLULU—This year hundreds of ILWU rank and file union stewards and unit leaders will be attending one-day training classes run by the union.

233 to 202 and 51 to 49. What do these numbers mean? They stand for the number of Democratic versus Republican Congressional representatives and the number of Democratic versus Republican Senators sworn into office Jan. 4, 2007. They stand for a political shift of power from the Republicandominated Congress that was held since 2002 in the Senate and 1994 in the House.

Richard Baker Jr.
Division Director

As the Hawaii Division Director for the past three years, I have tried to lead the Hawaii Division Team to achieve its goals in the areas of organizing, mobilizing, negotiations of good and fair contracts, and building of our unit leadership.

At the start of this year, President Joe Biden entered the second year of his presidency. After running a campaign that emphasized his pro-labor leanings and solidarity for the working class, he has made consistent efforts on behalf of strengthening unions. When he took office in January 2021, the unemployment rate was 6.4% (Bureau of Labor Statistics). Near the end of his first year in December, it had dropped to 3.9%.

The classes are part of the ILWU’s regular education program that focuses on providing on-going education to rank and file leaders and union members. A democratic union like the ILWU requires an educated and informed membership and on-the-job union leaders who get the support and training they need to do the work of the union. Thus far, six classes have been held on Hawaii, Maui, Kauai, and Oahu, attended by a total of 166 members. More classes will be scheduled later this year and throughout next year.

Reviewed by Gene Vrana, 
Director of Educational Services and Librarian