HOLLYWOOD, Fl (PAI)—Labor Secretary Elaine Chao thought she had an open and honest session with the nation’s union leaders Feb. 26. Putting it mildly, they disagreed.
After the closed-door meeting the conservative Republican Labor Secretary held with the AFL-CIO Executive Council in Hollywood, Fla.,federation President John J. Sweeney took to the press conference podium and called the session “unbelievable.”
That was one of Sweeney’s milder comments. And he wasn’t alone. Even Teamsters President James P. Hoffa was critical, though he has been wooed by Chao’s boss, President Bush, even being invited into the first lady’s box during a State of the
Union address.
“We’re disappointed frankly that they don’t understand labor issues and labor people,” Mike Mathis, the Teamster’s political director told The New York Times. “The way the secretary presented herself today was proof of that. We think it’s important that the labor movement strengthen its resolve as we go into 2004 to elect a president who understands the working people.”
“Chao was a Secretary of Labor who sounded like a Secretary of Commerce,” Sweeney said. “What we saw from her was a secretary who was contentious . . . angry and insulting at all points.
“In all my years in the labor movement, I have never seen a Secretary of Labor who was so antilabor,” he told reporters.
Chao’s attitudes and her manner reflect Bush’s anti-union stands, he said. “Union leaders came away more committed than ever to a change in the White House,” he said.
Chao, of course, saw it differently. “I want to work with organized labor,” she said. Her spokeswoman, Kathleen Harrington,
followed her boss to the podium ad called Chao’s session with the council “an open and honest exchange.”
That’s diplomatic Washington- speak for sharp disagreement.
Chao came to the meeting advocating a new Bush administration proposal to force more than 5,000 local unions, plus all national unions, to spend millions of dollars and thousands of hours each year filling out forms disclosing every bit of spending—starting at $2,000 or $5,000—on everything from pencils on up. Chao claimed such disclosure would give more “transparency.”.
Corporations do not have to file such detailed disclosures, AFL-CIO associate general counsel Damon Silvers noted.
When Machinists President Thomas Buffenbarger challenged Chao on the contrasting disclosure requirements, she flourished a list that she claimed had the names of seven local IAM officials indicted, convicted, or served prison time for financially
hurting their members. That got everyone mad.
Buffenbarger was particularly furious because in all seven cases Chao cited the union had uncovered the misuse of funds
and cleaned its own house, investigating the officers involved, barring them permanently from representing any IAM member again and then turning the matter over to the Dept. of Labor.
Chao also advanced other positions that organized labor did not like, including:
- Forgoing an immediate hike in the minimum wage and providing “the flexibility to have some discretion for regional differences.” Bush has long backed letting states opt out of the federal minimum wage law, which would set off yet another
economic race to the bottom. - Defending Bush’s decision to ban unions for workers in the new Dept. of Homeland Security, for airport screeners, and for others. Challenged to name on incident where unionization threatened national security, Chao answered, “The increased
flexibility he [Bush] has requested [to ban unions] is so we can better protect Americans.” She stopped there. - Advocating Bush’s economic plan, including his proposed $674 billion 10-year tax cut for the rich, by claiming Bush inherited a recession that started in mid-2000 under Democratic President Bill Clinton. The National Bureau of Economic
Research, a non-partisan group that measures recessions, said it started in March 2001. The AFL-CIO says it’s still going.
At a time when unions are facing enormous problems with rising health care costs, layoffs and people losing retiree benefits, the fact that Chao came into their house obviously prepared with documents to denounce the labor movement angered every-
one.
“Secretary Chao’s appearance before the Council only reinforces a view that I—and numerous other members of the Council—have previously expressed: the Bush administration is the most antiunion administration we have ever experienced,” Sweeney said.
Hawaiian Commercial & Sugar Co. workers approve new contract
PUUNENE, Maui—ILWU mem- bers at Hawaiian Commercial & Sugar Co. (HC&S) ratified a new contract on February 24, 2003. The five-year contract covers some 681 field and mill workers and provides improvements and additional benefits for ILWU members at HC&S.
Workers will receive a total negotiated wage increase of 15 percent, or three percent per year for five years. In addition, profit-sharing negotiated in the last contract gave workers a two percent payout this February, in effect giving them a raise of five
percent in 2003.
The night shift premium and trainer rate were both increased by five cents per hour.
Effective June 1, 2003, employees will also receive long-term disability insurance (LTDI) coverage at the company’s cost.
An improvement to the sick leave language allows sick leave to commence from the first day of illness. Also, a vision coverage rider is included as part of the medical plan, with eyeglass lenses free and frames covered up to $40.00.
“The company did well in 2002 so this was a good time to negotiate,” said spokesperson William Kennison.
Negotiating on behalf of HC&S were: Chairperson Rodney Medeiros, James Chester, David Livergood, Robert Zahl and Kennison.
Pineapple units extend contract for one year
KAHULUI, Maui—Pineapple members approved a one-year extension of their contract until February 7, 2004. The extension affects some 2,000 ILWU members at Maui Land and Pineapple and Dole and Del Monte pineapple companies on Oahu.
The contract extension was recommended by the full pineapple caucus, which met on Feb. 11, 2003, on Maui. Some 42 members representing ten pineapple units attended the caucus. The caucus reasoned that it would be better to keep the current wages and benefits in place and put off negotiations for a new contract until next year, when, hopefully, economic conditions will improve for the three pineapple companies and the impact of war on Iraq would be known.
The statewide pineapple negotiating committee members were David Amor, Douglas Cabading, Teddy Espeleta, Martin Jenson, Cynthia Kaina, Lehua Kalua and Glen Murayama from Maui, Boyd Isnec, Avelino Martin, Richard Morgan, Darlene Palmerton, Matthew Rodrigues, and Earl Totten from Oahu, spokesperson Eusebio “Bo” Lapenia Jr., and business agents
Brandon Bajo-Daniel and Delbert DeRego.
Hawaiian Commercial & Sugar Co. technicians, clerks ratify new CBA
PUUNENE, Maui—The 25 clerks and technicians who are members of the ILWU at Hawaiian Commercial & Sugar Co. (HC&S) unanimously ratified a new contract on March 26, 2003.
The five-year agreement provides wage increases of three percent per year for a total of 15 percent over the life of the contract.
In addition, supplemental pension will be increased five percent per year for five years.
ILWU members who are scheduled for night shift work will see their night shift premium increase by five cents per hour.
Negotiating on behalf of HC&S clerks and technicians were: Chair- person Akin Jones, Karl Kahui, Lolita Yagin and spokesperson William Kennison.
Bulk sugar contract signed with KT&S
KAHULUI, Maui—KT&S Bulk Sugar workers have ratified a new contract on March 13, 2003. The agreement is the only bulk sugar contract that exists in Hawaii, and covers six workers at the KT&S Bulk Sugar in Wailuku.
The new bulk sugar contract includes wages increases that follow the Hawaii longshore contract, for a total increase of $3.00 per hour over six years.
Bulk sugar’s pension benefits also increase, following West Coast and Hawaii longshore settlements. Pension goes up to $150 over the course of the contract—to be multiplied by the number of years of service up to a maximum of 35 years.
The ILWU negotiating committee members were Chairperson Mark Ueki, Ernest Cabral and spokesperson William Kennison.