Shop steward Zonette Tam had been working for 10 years toward a nursing degree while balancing her job and family life. Then on May 31 the ILWU Local 142 member received the news—she had won an AFL-CIO Union Plus scholarship. As a worker who helped organize her shop into the ILWU, the win was especially sweet.

“I had been on a career path to get a LPN [Licensed Practical Nurse] degree, but I got accepted into the nursing program at Univ. of Hawaii at Manoa and now this scholarship puts me over the top,” Tam said. “I can go for my RN and a bachelor’s degree.”

HONOLULU—Education is an essential part of ILWU rank-and-file democracy. The ILWU believes that working people are fully capable of acquiring all the skills needed to run their own union.

HONOLULU—Graduation on Friday, June 17 was the last event of an intensive five days of learning and interaction for the participants of the 7th ILWU Labor Institute. It was the end of the Institute but just the beginning for taking what they learned back to the membership.

The Longshore Caucus did a terrific job of moving the Division forward at its meeting in early April. Delegates representing every longshore, clerk and walking boss local on the Coast stayed focused and on course with the strategy set out in our 2003 Caucus aimed at putting ourselves in a strong position before entering into the 2008 contract negotiations.

A jury trial in US District Court resulted in a verdict against the ILWU which ordered the union to pay $1.24 million in damages to Maui member Nicanor Casumpang, Jr. The ILWU is appealing the decision, but if the verdict and award are upheld, it could impact all 20,000 members of ILWU Local 142 in Hawaii.

“Awesome” was the word some of the participants used to describe the education they got at the ILWU’s 7th Labor Institute. They also used “awesome” to describe each other, as that special group of active union members who seek the knowledge to help their brothers and sisters on the job and to make the world a better place. 

HONOLULU—In the fall of 2004, a “waterfront coalition”—including the ILWU, Matson Navigation Co. McCabe Hamilton & Renny, Hawaii Stevedores Inc., Horizon Lines, Young Brothers Ltd., Sause Brothers, NCL America, and the A&B Foundation—came together to promote community awareness of crystal methamphetamine (“ice” or “crystal meth”) abuse by providing financial support for the Edgy Lee documentary “ICE II: Life or Meth.”

WAILUKU—Sunny skies and high winds made for hot, dusty playing conditions at Keopuolani Park in Wailuku, site of the 50th ILWU Men’s Fast Pitch Tournament.

Four teams participated this year: the Islanders from Maui Division, Mauna Lani from Hawaii Division, Weyerhaeuser from Oahu Division, and Kauai Coffee from Kauai Division.

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.

In a democratic union like the ILWU, there are members at every workplace who are elected by their fellow workers to lead the union organization at their job site. These elected workers are called “Unit Officers” and the union organization at the job site is called a “Unit” of the ILWU