PORTLAND, Oregon—For the first time, on April 29 - May 2, 2005, the ILWU participated in the AFLCIO’s union industries show, a trade show that exclusively showcases union goods and services and promotes public interest in union industries.

WAILEA, Maui—”No need worry about job security!” This was the most frequent comment heard as Grand Wailea members voted to approve a new labor agreement at membership meetings held throughout the day on May 21, 2004.

It is a privilege and an honor for me to be here as the newly elected president of ILWU Local 142 and to be talking to such an important and distinguished group of people like yourselves. I say “important and distinguished” because you are the ones who really deserve the credit for building this union and for making Hawaii a better place.

The ILWU Local 142 is proud to join over 20 unions in endorsing and supporting Mufi Hannemann for Mayor of the City and County of Honolulu.

William Kennison 
Maui Division Director

Willie Kennison is on leave from Hawaiian Commercial and Sugar Co. (HC&S). “I would like to bring the membership together in supporting the programs of the union. I also believe it is important to negotiate fair and equitable contracts that benefit all of the workers.

During the three years of the Bush administration, more than 3 million jobs in the U.S. have disappeared, been destroyed, dismantled, vanished.

Not since the early years of the Great Depression of the 1930s has America experienced three consecutive years of net job destruction. Nor has any president since Herbert Hoover faced the prospect of leaving office with the economy having fewer jobs than when he entered.

Impact on wages and profits 
While Bush’s tax-cuts-for-therich solution has failed to produce jobs, it has succeeded in reducing wages. For the year 2003 aggregate wage and salary income has fallen by 0.7 percent. Bush’s cuttaxes-for-the-rich program has proved, for workers at least, to be the equivalent of economic snake oil. But for the owning class, the employers, it’s been more like manna from heaven.

Substantial gains were made in other areas as well. Wages will increase by about 2.5 percent each year for a total gain of 10.5 percent over the life of the contract. Tipped workers will get 10 cents added to their hourly base pay every year for a total gain of 50 cents. As the result of these increases, the wages paid for many of the job classifications at the Grand Wailea will be the highest of any Maui hotel.

Hawaii ILWU members received the May 2003 Dispatcher instead of the April issue of the Voice of the ILWU. This is a one time occurrence and was necessary because the May Dispatcher contained important information about the upcoming International Elections.

Preliminary data on visitor arrivals from the State’s Department of Business and Economic Development and Tourism show a
dramatic and ominous decline in tourism numbers since the U.S. war on Iraq. The decline in visitors from Japan is most
dramatic, dropping by an average of 34 percent since March 19, 2003 when the U.S. began to bomb Iraq.