HONOLULU—The 8th ILWU Labor Institute, a five-day long leadership training program for rank and file leaders, is scheduled for October 15-20, 2007, at the ILWU Hall in Honolulu. All delegates, including Oahu, will be housed at the Ala Moana Hotel across the street.
Top labor educators from the mainland and Hawaii have been recruited to teach workshops on the skills and practical knowledge needed by rank and file union activists.
HONOLULU—A ruling by the Hawaii Labor Relations Board orders Del Monte Fresh Produce (Hawaii) to pay additional severance and medical benefits to eligible former employees of Del Monte. The workers lost their jobs in January 2007 when the Floridabased company permanently closed pineapple operations on Oahu.
The Local Convention completed its work in September 2006 and adopted programs that will guide us for the next three years. It addresses the various areas that are important to our membership. I would like to cover one program area that needs to be strengthened.
HILO—Recognition Night has been a tradition of good food, fellowhsip and fun for the past 30 years with Hawaii Division. This year’s event on February 10, 2007 was no exception. With food prepared by Isaac Fiesta Jr.a nd his steadfast crew, music by Bonnie and Doug, and the hard work of the full-time officers and friends, Recognition Night 2007 was a success.
Edwina Byron Kaehulani Smythe, 67, of Kahului, died Feb. 13, 2007, at Maui Memorial Medical Center. Edwina helped the ILWU organize many of the hotels on Maui, was deeply involved in union political action, and was a strong and effective union leader.
James A. King died on February 13, 2007 at the age of 85. Jim King was an active member of the Oahu ILWU pensioners club and a retired labor attorney. Jim came from a prominent kama’aina family with deep roots in Hawaii. His mother’s family could trace their ancestry to Hawaiian alii and his grandmother, Charlene Davis, had served as a personal assistant to Queen Liliuokalani. His grandfather, James Anders King was the Minister of the Interior for the Republic of Hawaii and his uncle was Territorial Governor Samuel Wilder King.
Nobuyoshi “Nobu” Tamura of Kilauea died in Hawai‘i Kai, O‘ahu, on Jan. 27, 2007, at the age of 91.
He was born in Kilauea, Kauai, on Feb. 25, 1915, and began working for the Kilauea Sugar Plantation in 1928 after graduating from Kilauea Elementary School. He was 13 years old. He started as a scale house worker and worked his way up to become a journeyman plumber. He became active with the ILWU after the sugar strike of 1946, and served as the unit chairperson of the Kilauea Sugar Unit for 25 years from 1946 until C. Brewer closed the plantation in 1971.
The ILWU Local 142 Political Action Committee voted to support Dan Akaka for U.S. Senate, based on Senator Akaka’s progressive voting record and long-time commitment to the working families of this state. The ILWU believes that Senator Akaka exemplifies the best values of the people of Hawaii, including justice for all, support for ohana, and fair laws to protect working people.
Singapore’s PSA International had offered $6.3 billion, but Dubai Ports World won out with a bid of $7 billion to buy the British Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company (P&O).
Hawaii’s pineapple industry is not in trouble. There are challenges, but the two remaining pineapple growers, Dole Foods and Maui Pineapple Company, see a future for pineapple in Hawaii. In 2004, Dole reported profits of $257 million from sales of $3.54 billion in fresh fruit, most of which came from sales of banana and pineapple. Partial results for 2005 show that sales and profits for Dole will be slightly higher.