The six Memorial Parks were named the Outstanding Small Units of the year. Accepting the award are: Abeleen Lau (Diamond Head Memorial Park) and James Toma (Mililani Memorial Park, pictured with Business Agent Larry Ruiz (l).

The Outstanding Large Unit award was given to Love’s Bakery. Unit chair Maurice Bisbee (r) accepted the award from Business Agent Shane Ambrose.

Dillon Hullinger (l) from Unit 4405 - Foodland Super Market Ltd. was named the Outstanding Leader. Foodland Business Agent Karl Lindo presented the award.

Oahu Division honors their workplace heroes

HONOLULU—Oahu Division recognized their outstanding units and leaders for 2008 at their Division Executive Board meeting on February 27, 2009.

The program, now in its ninth year, started in 2000. Business Agents nominate the outstanding and inspirational leaders from their units, discuss the merits of each nominee, and vote for the most deserving

Outstanding Units 
Three awards are given to outstanding units based on the size of the unit. Units are judged by their accomplishment in contract negotiation, contract enforcement, or noteworthy participation in Division and Local union programs.

Unit 4415 -  the six memorial park units were named the Small Units of the Year. The units are Diamond Head Memorial Park, Nuuanu Memorial Park, Hawaiian Memorial Park Cemetery, Mililani Memorial Park & Mortuary, Oahu Cemetery Association, and Valley of the Temples Memorial Park. The memorial parks usually negotiate as a group, but Hawaiian Memorial was bought by a mainland company which wanted to negotiate separately. Valley of the Temples was in bankruptcy since 2005 and unable to find a buyer. Unit members still helped by sign-waving for political action.

Business Agents Shane Ambrose and Larry Ruiz explained how the members of each unit stuck together and, except for Valley of the Temples, were able to get a wage increase in negotiations

Unit 4409 - Island Movers was named the Outstanding Medium Size Unit of 50 to 99 members. Business Agent Mike Yamaguchi accepted the award on the unit’s behalf. Mike explained that no one from the unit could attend the meeting as an increase in business required members to work long hours. “They’re on the job and enforcing the union contract,” said Mike.

Unit 4402 - Love’s Bakery was the Outstanding Large Unit. Business Agent Shane Ambrose talked about how the unit went through a big struggle when the Japanese owners planned to shut down the bakery. The only way to keep the bakery open was for local managers to take over the company, but management also needed union members to agree to deep cuts in wages and benefits. The unit’s negotiating committee negotiated a new contract and members voted to accept reduced wages and benefits to save their jobs. Maurice Bisbee, the unit chair for the last 12 years, said this was the first negotiations where he heard the word poverty. The choice was job or no job, but unit leaders still took a lot of flack from unhappy members. The unit leaders had to work hard to communicate with members.

Unit Leader of the Year 
Unit leaders of the year participate in Division and Local union functions, are respected by members, have strong ability to lead and overcome significant challenges, and promote union programs.

Kenneth Ige, the chairperson of Unit 4412 - Servco Pacific Inc., was recognized as the Unit Leader of the Year. Business Agent Mike Yamaguchi explained how Kenneth taught him a lot about the industry and how the contract works in the automotive servicing industry. Division Director Dave Mori added that the unit did well in negotiations although auto companies are losing money and Servco had just laid off 42 union members. In return for giving the company more flexibility, unit members held on to their wages, benefits, and got better language on layoffs and separation pay.

Jose Miramontes from Unit 4405 - Hawaii Logistics received an honorable mention as the  Unit Leader of the Year. Business Agent Shane Ambrose explained how Jose helped organize the loaders into the union. Jose works on the night shift with the loaders. Jose was able to get them to attend organizing meetings after they got off work at 3:00 a.m. in the morning.

Outstanding Leaders 
Outstanding leaders participate in Division and Local union functions, are respected by their members, are able to file and settle grievances, mobilize members, and promote union programs.

Dillon Hullinger from Unit 4405 - Foodland was named the Outstanding Leader. Dillon works as a produce clerk at the Kaneohe Foodland where he has 20 years of service. Business Agent Karl Lindo explained how Dillon had been a union steward but stepped up to become the unit’s chairperson in 2002. Foodland Oahu has 16 stores which requires a strong network of union leaders. They did a great job in the last statewide negotiations in 2008. In accepting the award, Dillon thanked his business agents and the strong leadership of his unit executive board members, who were all women. Dillon explained he was the only male on the executive board and the women tell him what to do.

Gordon Young from Unit 4406 - Honolulu Advertiser was the runner-up Outstanding Leader. Newspapers all over the United States are losing business because of the Internet and are cutting staff or going out of business. After 18 months of negotiations, Advertiser members accepted a 10 percent wage cut. Throughout the long negotiations, which involved 5 other unions, Gordon stood his ground on union principles. Dave Mori added that the union needs even stronger leadership in bad times.

Inspirational Leader 
Inspirational leaders set an example that represents the qualities of union principle, dedication, ingenuity, fellowship and unity.

Business Agent Brandon Bajo-Daniel presents Sam Ramirez with the Inspirational Leader Award of 2008.

Sam Ramirez from Unit 4305 -Dole Wahiawa Plantation was honored as the Most Inspirational Leader. Business Agent Brandon Bajo-Daniel explained how Sam was always eager to learn as a new officer. Sam helped us a lot and was always available when called upon to help, said Brandon. Sam’s help will be needed as the pineapple units go into negotiations this year.

Vivian McCoy, a retiree from Unit 4302 - Dole Cannery, was named the Most Inspirational Retiree. Business Agent Brandon Bajo-Daniel told how Vivian is always helping out with the pension club activities. Brandon suggested they shouldn’t be called retirees because they never retire from helping the union and staying involved with their pension clubs. “I learn a lot from them and have a lot of respect for these kupuna,” said Brandon. “We should make a movie about them and the amazing stories they tell about their working lives.”

In recognition of Ah Quon McElrath’s lifetime service to the ILWU and the community, the Inspirational Leader Award will be renamed the Ah Quon McElrath Award. ILWU Local 142 President Fred Galdones presented the award to Ah Quon’s daughter, Gail Long. “The ILWU was blessed by God to give us AQ as one of our leaders—she did so much for all of us and our children,” said Fred.

Gail urged the ILWU to continue to work on social justice issues beyond the economics of the work place. The ILWU remains one of a very few unions that take on both social and economic issues.

Rank and File Union 
The Oahu Division Awards show how active union leaders on the job are essential to the ILWU as a rank and file union. The units and individuals honored by Oahu Division keep their members informed about the union, maintain social networks that bring members closer to the union, and mobilize members to stand united in tough economic times. These unit leaders are the everyday heroes who do so much for their fellow workers and help make the world better by their service.