Hawaii Electricians, Honolulu, Oahu, Maui, Kauai, Big Island, Hilo, Kona, Lanai, Molokai, Kahoolawe, Niihau

LOCAL UNION 1186 IBEW

STATE OF THE UNION

Damien Kim
By Damien Kim
Business Manager-Financial Secretary
October 2011

BUSINESS MANAGER'S MESSAGE

38th ANNUAL CONVENTION

Every five years the IBEW holds its International Convention, and this year it was held in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

At this Convention the Delegates elect the International Officers, pass resolutions, make changes to the IBEW Constitution, hear appealed Grievances, and listen to information about where the IBEW is heading and what our goals are.

International President Edwin Hill and International Secretary Treasurer Salvatore Chilia ran unopposed in their re-election to office. Ninth District Vice President Michael Mowrey and Seventh District International Executive Council member Patrick Lavin also ran unopposed and got re-elected.

IBEW is the biggest construction union in the United States and Canada with over 650,000 members.

Our Ninth District is the largest of all 11 IBEW districts with over 126,000 members. The Ninth District is comprised of California, Washington, Oregon, Nevada, Part of Idaho, Alaska, Hawaii, and Guam. Please read additional highlights about the Convention on page three in this newsletter.

“IBEW is the biggest construction union in the United States and Canada . . . ."

CONTRACTS

Negotiations continue with both the Inside/Outside Contract and Telecommunications. We are finding it challenging in these economic times to provide fair wages and benefits to our members.

The economy is on a slow rebound, with the State's capital improvement projects (CIP) starting to begin. Up and coming projects that are on the horizon include: Ho'oplii, Sheraton's two new hotels / time share, Hilton Hawaiian Village's two new towers, PV farms, Maui's Hyatt, etc. . . .

POLITICAL ACTION

We have given formal endorsements to Colleen Hanabusa for the First Congressional District, and to Tulsi Gabbard for the Second Congressional District. Congresswoman Hanabusa is finishing her first term and is fighting the fight for the people in labor. Current Honolulu Councilwoman Tulsi Gabbard will bring us a youthful, open-minded friend of labor, and a freshness to represent Hawaii in Congress. She is also in the National Guard with the rank of Captain and served two tours of duty in Iraq.

We are hopeful that one day Tulsi will be in a position like Senator Inouye, being the most senior Senator and well-respected in Washington D.C.

RAIL TRANSIT

Honolulu Rail Transit is on the move. The City has let out three Notices to Proceed to Kiewit for Phases 1 and 2 of the rail project from Kapolei to Aloha Stadium. The third Phase is for the Maintenance Yard.

The Core Contract is close to execution with Ansaldo being chosen. Boring and soil sampling has also started in the downtown area.

GIVING THANKS

As always, thank you to all of the volunteers that came out to help with the Adopt-a-Highway program and those that participated in our Youth Basketball Camp. Have a great Thanksgiving

In Solidarity,

Damien Kim

UNIONS 101

In honor of the recent Labor Day holiday, The Hawaii Electricians is offering this quick study of how unions help workers with a voice on the job:

What is a Union?
A union is a group of workers who forms an organization to gain:

Respect on the job;
Better wages and benefits
More flexibility for work and family needs
A counterbalance to the unchecked power of employers, and
A voice in improving the quality of their products and services.

How do people form a union?
When workers decide they want to come together to improve their jobs, they work with a union to help them form their own local chapter. After a majority of workers shows they want a union, employers sometimes honor the workers' choice.
Often the workers must ask the government through the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) to hold an election. If the workers win their union, they negotiate a contract with the employer that spells out each party's rights and responsibilities in the work place.

What kinds of workers are forming unions today?
A wider range of people than ever before, including many women and immigrants, is joining unions: doctors, nurses, poultry workers, graduate employees, home health care aides, wireless communications workers, auto parts workers and engineers, to name a few.

How do unions help working families today?
Through unions, workers win better wages, benefits, and a voice on the job — and good union jobs mean stronger communities. Union workers earn 26 percent more than nonunion workers and are more likely to receive healthcare and pension benefits than those without a union.
In 2002, median weekly earnings for full-time union wage and salary workers were $740, compared with $587 for their nonunion counterparts. Unions lead the fight today for better lives for working people, such as through expanded family and medical leave, improved safety and health protection, and fair-trade agreements that lift the standard of living for workers all over the world.

What have unions accomplished for all workers?
Unions have made life better for all of America's workers by helping to pass laws endings child labor, establishing the eight-hour day, protecting worker's safety and health, and helping create Social Security, unemployment insurance, and the minimum wage.
Unions are continuing the fight today to improve life for all working families in America.

CONTACT LOCAL UNION 1186 OFFICE

Business Manager-Financial Secretary
Damien Kim

Phone Numbers

Honolulu Office		(808) 847-5341
Hilo Office		(808) 961-6444
Kona Office		(808) 329-6960
Maui Office		(808) 244-8002
Kauai Office		(808) 245-7840

Address
1935 Hau Street, 4th Floor
Honolulu, HI 96819

E-mail
IBEW1186@ibew1186.org