HONOLULU—The Straub Clinic & Hospital ILWU negotiating committee met on October 4, 2013, at the ILWU Hall on Atkinson Drive in Honolulu to review and check the new contract for any errors before sending it for signature by the union and the company. The union committee makes sure the new contract correctly contains all the agreements made during negotiations and no other section of the contract has been omitted or altered.
There have been cases where management or their attorneys have changed the language or left out sections of the contract without talking about these changes with the union. It has long been standard practice of the union’s negotiating committees to compare every word of the new contract with the old contract to make sure every section of the contract is correct.
The ratification was held August 8, 9, 12-14, 2013, at the Hospital and various clinics statewide and the tentative agreement (TA) was approved. The duration of the new contract is three years with a 2% wage increase compounded each year. Other improvements include an increase in training premiums and caps on the employees’ cost for dental plans. Full-time employees are to receive a $150 bonus ratification bonus and regular part-time employees, a $90 ratification bonus. The union agreed to a wellness program to minimize the co-share on the monthly medical insurance premium. Local 142 Secretary-Treasurer and spokesperson, Guy Fujimura, was able to add a Successors and Assigns section to the contract.
The Unit 4420 - Straub Clinic & Hospital union negotiating committee members were: (l-r) Wilfred Chang, Brian Tanaka, Lucy Kim, Anna Koeger, Mely Co, Guy Fujimura. Not pictured: Paris Fernandez.
Mely Co reviews the Memorandum of Agreement with member at the hospital during ratification. The Memorandum of Agreement, or MOA, is a document that includes all negotiated changes to the contract.
The section reads: “The terms and conditions of the Agreement shall apply to the purchaser to the extent required by the doctrine for successor employers as defined by the National Relations Board.”
Members of the negotiating committee are as follows: Local 142 SecretaryTreasurer/Spokesperson Guy Fujimura, Business Agents Wilfred Chang, Paris Fernandez, and Brian Tanaka, Unit Chairperson Lucy Kim (King Street Clinic), Mely Co (Hospital), and Anna Koeger (Hospital).
Congresswoman speaks at Maui Division Executive Board meeting
WAILUKU—Forty-six ILWU members and pensioners of the Maui Division Executive Board met on August 21, 2013 at the ILWU Hall at 896 Lower Main Street in Wailuku.
Rick Bolner, Jr., was the first of two guest speakers. He is the General Manager of Hawaiian Commerical & Sugar Company, also known as HC&S, and is the chairman of the 16th Annual Maui Heart Walk and Health Fair. This fundraising event includes a 5K walk and CPR demonstrations.
Maui Division Director Steve Castro serves on the Executive Board member of The American Heart Association - Maui Division. Both men urged the attendees to encourage their family members and coworkers to participate in this fundraising event.
Congresswoman Colleen Hanabusa was the other guest speaker. She spoke on the wide range of benefits the Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2014 has for Hawaii. HC&S, the only sugar plantation in Hawaii stands to benefit from the Act. Other industries, such as the longshore and tourism industry will also be helped by the Defense Authorization Act.
