HONOLULU—Contract talks between the ILWU and Dole Pineapple will start in early March, then switch to Del Monte around March 22-24. Talks between the Union and Maui Land and Pineapple will be delayed to around August, as members approved a six-month contract extension sought by the company’s management.
Normally, the union meets with the management teams of all three companies at the same time. The idea is to establish the same basic wages, benefits, and working conditions for the entire industry. Union members benefit because they get the same pay for the same work. Management benefits because no one company will have a competitive advantage based on labor costs.
Industry-wide bargaining also allows the union and management to address the concerns of individual companies or groups of workers. After the basic terms of the contract are set, the union can negotiate separately with each company over issues unique to that company. This time, Maui Pine insisted on bargaining separately. The company claimed it was different from Dole and Del Monte, as it only grows pineapple in Hawaii while the other companies have global operations. Maui Pine ended its overseas expansion after selling its Costa Rican subsidiary to Dole for $15.3 million in 2003. Dole and Del Monte were willing to bargain industry-wide, but only if all three companies were involved.
Although the union is meeting separately with each company, the union’s negotiating committee will include member representatives from all three pineapple companies. The union committee will also continue to pursue the proposals adopted by the statewide pineapple caucus. In this way, the union will strive to keep wages and benefits at the same level within the industry.
Local 142 President Fred Galdones is the union’s spokesperson and negotiator. Other members of the union negotiating committee include: Earl Totten, Boyd Isnec, Thomas Innis, and Darlene Palmerton from Del Monte; Avelino Martin and Matthew Rodrigues from Dole; Martin Jenson, Cynthia Kaina, Doug Cabading, Eddie Amboya, Marcelino Bonilla, Robert Faborito and Glenn Murayama from Maui Pine.
ILWU Hawaii Division Women’s Committee members do their share to help the needy by collecting donations for the Hawaii Island Food Bank. Jeannie Martin and Sacha Malepe collect food donations outside the Puainako Sack ’N Save. In the background are Mercedes Habab, Jeanne Yoshizawa, and Teena Butterfield. Other participants included: Mercedes Aku, Corinna Salmo, Juanita Pedra, George Martin, Elmer Gorospe, Richard Baker Jr. and Isaac Fiesta Jr. The Food Bank drives are a regular project for the women’s committee, which also participates in the ILWU’s political action program.
