A new edition of A Spark Is Struck! Jack Hall and the ILWU in Hawaii by journalist Sanford Zalburg has just been reissued by Watermark Publishing at the urging of ILWU Local 142. Long out of print, this epic account of the birth and growth of the ILWU in Hawaii is filled with anecdotes and details about Hall and our union. The new edition uses a larger type style and better photo reproduction than the original, greatly enhancing the quality and readability of the thick volume.
The University of Hawaii Press published the book in 1979 in paperback and sold it at $5.95 per copy, and it was quickly adopted by Local 142’s education program. When the book went out of print, Local 142 purchased the remaining copies and made the book available to members at a discount. By the year 2000, the book had become a collector’s item and the idea of having it reissued was often discussed by the Local’s officers.
In mid-2006, through a chance conversation with a friend of the author, Local 142 SecretaryTreasurer Guy Fujimura was put in contact with Zalburg and the pursuit of the book’s reprinting began in earnest. In late November 2006, George Engebretson of Watermark Publishing expressed interest in reprinting the book with the Local’s cooperation in publicity and distribution.
Arrangements were made and production started within a few months.
The publisher scanned the entire book without altering the text and designed a new cover and page layout. A new foreword was written by Ah Quon McElrath, the longtime Local 142 social worker, social justice activist, and former University of Hawaii regent. The Local provided photographs from its archives and technical assistance to the Watermark staff.
The process took about a year to complete. Sanford Zalburg was finally able to hold the second printing of the book in his hands in October 2007. A few months later on February 16, 2008, Zalburg died at the age of 90 in Petaluma, California, and was buried at the Hawaii State Veterans Cemetery in Kaneohe.
“The reason why it is important for new members to read A Spark Is Struck! today,” said A. Q. McElrath in a recent interview, “is to get clarity with regard to the nature of people who led the growth of the ILWU during a very fascinating period in the development of Hawaii as well as the United States.... Even though the book may lack a sense of the broad history of Hawaii it nevertheless contains the feeling that the multi-ethnic groups of Hawaii could indeed take hold of their destiny and determine what it should be for them as well as their families. That is the primary lesson of the book—industrial organization, political action, and democracy in action.”
The value of the book for all ILWU members lies also in learning about the struggles and decisions of Jack Hall himself, and the price he paid for his pro-labor and left-wing politics. As A.Q. McElrath writes in her foreword to the new edition, Hall’s legacy includes the right of workers to belong to unions, to engage in political action, and to control and shape the conditions under which they work. Reading A Spark Is Struck! she concludes, “can provide some of the answers as to where the labor movement will go in the future and how union ideology, policies and structure can direct labor in a changing worldwide economy. This book is a powerful reminder that the legacy of Jack Hall continues to guide today’s labor movement.”
A Spark Is Struck! is available in paperback at bookstores and from Watermark Publishing at www.bookshawaii.net.
ILWU members may purchase the book at the special price of $10.00 by visiting the Local 142 office in Honolulu or ILWU Division offices in Hilo, Wailuku, and Lihue. Members may also order books by mail at $15.00 each from the Local 142 Library, using the form on this page.
Hawaii Labor History Week
Hawaii’s State Legislature has designated September 1 to 7 as “Hawaii Labor History Week.”
During this week, which includes the Labor Day holiday, Hawaii’s workers are encouraged to “develop ways to celebrate and honor the work of labor groups and the progress they have brought about for the working people.”
School teachers are encouraged to “provide labor education learning experiences for students appropriate to their grade level.”
In adopting House Concurrent Resolution No. 230 HD 1, the Legislature recognizes the “importance of educating students about the history and accomplishments of working people and the labor movement in Hawaii.”
The Legislature noted that social studies curricula should spend more time on the history of labor in Hawaii and collective bargaining, and the role of unions in the protection of workers’ rights and the establishment of beneficial laws such as workers’ compensation, pre-paid health insurance, and free public education.
“Knowledge and understanding of the history of labor in Hawaii are important for young people who will soon enter the workforce so they are provided the tools to make informed decisions about their lives and futures and work.”
The Legislature listed a growing number of resources devoted to labor education, including those produced and facilitated by the University of Hawaii-West Oahu’s Center for Labor Education and Research, the University of Hawaii’s Industrial Relations Center, the State Department of Labor and Industrial Relations’ Occupational Safety and Health Division and local labor unions.
