Local Union 1186 IBEW

Today we reap the fruits of his labor by providing excellent benefits for our union members and their families. We are looking forward to celebrating our 70th Anniversary with giveaways at our Union meetings and Union Picnics throughout the state.

This year we are also hopeful that the economy will bounce back and construction will resume. We are waiting for the start of the (Rail) High-Capacity Transit Corridor Project and West Oahu’s UH Campus. The Honolulu Mayor reports the $4.5 billion that will be spent on construction may create over 2,300 direct construction projects statewide. Let’s keep our fingers crossed.

POLITICAL YEAR

This year also is a big political year with a possible special election for the Congressional seat vacated by Congressman Neil Abercrombie. Many other seats will be vacated this year, including the Governor’s.

We want to get 100% of our membership signed up and registered to vote and then get 100% to go out and actually vote. We can make a difference with our 3,500 members, our families, and friends. With our strength and numbers, we can turn elections in our favor.

Our first endorsement for the year is Colleen Hanabusa for the 1st Congressional District. She currently represents the West side of Oahu and is the current State Senate President. She has been a friend of Labor, and I know she will represent us well in Washington.

VOLUNTEER

We have been helping in the community by donating our time and talent. We will be starting off this year with the “Walk for Diabetes” on March 20th. Please contact Tracy Hayashi for more information.

In March we will also be picking up rubbish between the Kipapa Gulch Bridge and Ka Uka Blvd. off-ramp, town-bound lanes. We adopted this part of the Highway.

We will also continue to sponsor “Da Braddah’s and Friends” so bring out your acting talents and participate in our commercials.

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:

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.