Local Union 1186 IBEW

This legislative season we successfully passed two bills that will help ensure public safety. SB2325 (visible display of electrical and plumbing journeyman licenses on the job site) goes into effect immediately. SB2837 (adds classroom requirements to “on-the-job” training to qualify to take the State electrical license test) takes effect in 2013. Both bills passed with Governor Lingle’s signature.

I want to thank those whose hard work and dedication to our industry made this possible. Be sure to visibly wear your electrical license card on the job site and carry an ID with you at all times. A State or City & County inspector can ask for your ID to verify that the license is really yours.

SPECIAL ELECTION RESULTS

I think we (Labor) did a great job in coming out to vote in the Special Election in May. Despite the polls, Colleen Hanabusa showed great promise by finishing ahead of fellow Democrat Ed Case. However, we cannot quit here because the bad news is that Republican Charles Djou won the Special Election due to the split Democratic vote. We will continue to campaign hard for Colleen in the Primary and General Elections being held in September and November of this year.

The Governor’s race is heating up. Mayor Mufi Hannemann has officially thrown in his name for Governor and will be running against Neil Abercrombie and Lt. Governor “Duke” Aiona. As we said all this time, we wanted Mayor Hannemann to stay as Mayor to ensure that the Rail Transit project he started is up and running.

Neil Abercrombie will be a better Governor due to his commitment to stay on the job for eight years. Neil’s record as a Congressman has proven that he delivers what is promised to the people of Hawaii.

CONSTRUCTION ELECTRICIAN

A new category is being adopted as an MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) to our contracts. International President Edwin Hill held a meeting for all Business Managers and talked about how to recapture work that we traditionally do not do.

The idea was to form an Agreement to go after work with a different classification other than the traditional Journeyman or Apprentice. President Hill showed us a slide show presentation of what our future would be like if we stood idly by and did nothing. Ninth District International Vice President Michael Mowrey gave all Ninth District Business Managers a template on how to structure this MOU. Mowrey also gave a similar presentation in Hawaii using our local area data. With Hawaii being the second most unionized state, our numbers did not look as bad as the rest of the nation; however, it also showed we have a lot more room for improvement.

Our Local has come up with its own CE (Construction Electrician) category for approval. Our program will take anyone who has at least 10,000 hours and works for a signatory or newly-organized company, but did not complete the IBEW’s Apprenticeship program. We'll put them through a series of oral and hands-on tests. Based on the results, they could be placed in a two-year apprenticeship program. Their completion to Journeyman status will require passing the program, passing a Craft Certification test, and obtaining the State of Hawaii Electrical Journeyman license.

State laws already require half of all electrical workers on the job site to be licensed journeymen, and prevailing wage laws on all government projects help protect our craft. What we'll push for now is effective enforcement for these laws to work.

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.