The term “rank-and-file” is defined as “those who form the major portion of any group or organization, excluding the leaders and officers.” The ILWU is a “rank-and-file” union because the membership is given the power to run and govern their union. The members elect the officers. The members set the policies and programs of the union, and the elected officers are bound to follow those policies and implement those programs.
ILWU rank-and-file unionism is opposed to the top-down, bureaucratic style of many unions where power is concentrated in the hands of a few top officers. In the ILWU, the members run the union, and that is why the Local Convention is the highest governing body within our union.
Every three years, ILWU members elect delegates to represent them at the Convention. These delegates review the work of the union and adopt the policies and programs to guide the union for the next three years. Convention delegates also approve the union’s budget which controls how the union spends money and how much the staff and full-time officers are paid.
Finally, the actions of the Convention must be submitted to the membership of the union for their approval. This is why these ratification meetings are being held—to give members a report of what happened at the Convention and to get their vote of approval.
Five days of hard work
The 23rd Convention ran for five days from September 15-19, 2003, at the Ilikai Hotel in Honolulu. The theme of the Convention was “Defend Our Rights . . . Protect Our Union.” This theme reflects the need to defend our rights as workers and as citizens, rights that are being undermined and attacked by the Bush Administration.
The Convention was attended by 407 delegates or observers, 47 fraternal (mostly retirees) delegates, and 80 guests. Maui Division had the largest group with 146 delegates, followed by Oahu with 128 delegates, then Hawaii with 70, and Kauai with 44.
On the last day of the Convention, the delegates nominated candidates for the three titled officers and the industrial grouping representatives to the Local Executive Board. The next Convention will be in September 2006.
Speakers
The following speakers addressed the Convention: Local 142 President Eusebio “Bo” Lapenia, Jr.; retired ILWU social worker Ah Quon McElrath; Ian Ruskin (as Harry Bridges); and David Gregory of the AFL-CIO. Senators Daniel Inouye and Daniel Akaka and Congressman Neil Abercrombie provided videotaped messages.
The four International ILWU officers also addressed the Convention: President James Spinosa, Vice President (Mainland) Bob McEllrath, Vice President (Hawaii) Wesley Furtado, and Secretary-Treasurer Willie Adams. ILWU International attorney Rob Remar also spoke.
A number of State Legislators served as a parliamentarian: Senator Rosalyn Baker; Rep. Eric Hamakawa; Rep. Roy Takumi; Rep. Scott Saiki; Rep. Sylvia Luke; and Rep. Thomas Waters. Retired ILWU member and former Maui Councilmember Goro Hokama also served as a parliamentarian.
Five committees
The work of the Convention was divided into five areas: 1) Constitution; 2) Officers’ Report, Organizing, and Resolutions; 3) Contract Administration, Safety and Health; 4) ILWU Programs - Membership Services, Publicity and Education, and Political Action; and 5) Finance.
Constitution
The ILWU Constitution sets the rules by which the Union and its members operate. It spells out the principles and objectives of the Union and sets up an open and democratic structure that ensures control by the membership.
A total of nine Constitutional amendments were submitted to the Convention. Six were adopted and three were withdrawn. The full text of the adopted amendments is printed below.
Constitutional amendments adopted by the convention
(Deletions are bracketed and struck through and additions are underlined.)
1. C-1 - ARTICLE I, Composition of the Union: Section 1.03.4.1. There shall be no disbursement of funds as payments to individual members or as reimbursements of Union dues. However, Union funds may be utilized as part of an authorized program to acknowledge bereavement, hospitalization, illness, retirement, outstanding service to the Union, or other similar circumstances which are customary and usual. For the purposes of utilizing funds to acknowledge retirement, this section shall be effective January 1, 1998 and shall apply only to units with pre-existing finance policies to acknowledge retirement.
2. C-2 - ARTICLE II, Officers, Committees, and Staff: Section 2.02.3 Division Officers: Division Director; Division Trustee; Local Executive Board Members; Business Agents. There shall be elected in each Division the following minimum number of Business Agents: Hawaii Division - Six (6) at large; Maui County Division - Six (6) at large; Oahu Division - Six (6) at large; Kauai Division - [Three (3)] Two (2) at large. (The number of positions is in effect January 1, 2004; no grandfathering.)
3. C-3 - ARTICLE III, Local Negotiating Committees and Caucuses: Section 3.01.1.2. Longshore Industrial Grouping. Each Division shall have (1) basic longshore delegate who shall be the unit chair or a duly authorized representative. Oahu shall have (3) additional delegates. Oahu Longshore Chair shall attend all West Coast Longshore negotiation caucuses.
6. C-6 - ARTICLE VII, Local Executive Board: New paragraph after Section 7.02. If an issue is determined to directly affect the Business Agents, the Local Executive Committee may approve one (1) Business Agent from each Division to attend the Local Executive Board meeting at which the issue will be discussed. The Business Agents attending in this capacity will have voice but no vote.
8. C-8 - ARTICLE XIV, Elections: (NEW) Section 14.11. Campaign Donations. All candidates for full-time Local office shall accept campaign donations only from members and retirees of the ILWU. Donations shall mean direct cash donations, airline tickets, payment of hotel and car rental bills, and also payment of radio, television, campaign materials, and newspaper ad bills. Further, each candidate shall be limited to $20,000 in total campaign expenditures. All candidates must provide a full financial disclosure statement to the Local Executive Board no later than the last Board meeting of the triennium. Such disclosure statements shall include all contributions received, listed by individual donor, and all money spent, listed by type of expense.
Violations of this section shall cause the candidate to forfeit election. Candidate accountability under this section shall commence in the 2006 election upon acceptance of this Constitutional Amendment by the membership.
9. C-9 - ARTICLE XXXI, Agreements: Section 31.01. This Local may make any agreement with any employer who grants our demands. [First-time agreements with new employers shall be negotiated by the organizer(s) assigned, in conjunction with the Division, in accordance with the Local’s negotiating guidelines and procedures.] The spokesperson for first-time agreements with new employers shall be assigned by the Titled Officers. The Organizer(s) may be called upon to negotiate or assist.
Union budget and finance
Adopted budget
Convention delegates unanimously adopted a three-year budget that maintains existing services of the union with no increase in union dues.
To avoid a dues increase, the budget requires some sacrifice by the full-time officers (FTO) of the union. The potential budget deficit was brought down to a manageable $1.4 million over three years by suspending scheduled FTO pay increases, by freezing pension benefits, and by carefully managing spending in all program areas. There is a provision to allow the Titled Officers to unfreeze pension benefits and to pay FTO increases, if the financial situation of the union improves.
The primary reason for the deficit in the budget was a mandatory contribution of $3.52 million to the ILWU Staff Pension Plan over the triennium. This was reduced to $2.45 million by freezing pension benefits.
Changes in the Finance Policy
Proposed changes and clarifications to the Local’s Finance Policy are as follows:
1) The pay rates to be in effect January 1, 2004 are delayed and payable in three increments, however all increases are suspended, but may be released by the Titled Local Officers.
2) The Local will pay a lost wage supplement to ILWU Local 142 members of the International Executive Board (lost wages less any payments from the International Union).
3) The Oahu Longshore Unit Chair shall attend West Coast Longshore negotiation caucuses.
4) Clarifies that when housing