volume 46 • no. 6 - ilwu local 142...voice ilwu of page 2 the august 2006 l o c a l v i c e p r e...

August 2006 VOICE ILWUOF

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Volume 46 • No. 6 August 2006The VOICE of the ILWU—Published by Local 142, International Longshore & Warehouse Union

Next Local Executive Board Meeting scheduled for December 14-15, 2006 • 10:00 am • ILWU Union Hall, Honolulu

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The volunteers are usuallytalking to people who belong to adifferent union. An electricalworker may be talking to a truckdriver, or a postal worker may betalking to a hospital worker, but

50 years of

A view from the deck of Matson’s Maunawili.

“Walking and Talking” to union membersEvery Saturday morning, teams of volunteers from different

Hawaii unions spend a few hours “walking and talking” to

their fellow union members. They visit the homes of unionized

workers who are registered voters and talk to them about

supporting those candidates running for political office who

would do the best job for working families.

the fact they are both unionmembers creates an instantrapport and opens the door forfurther conversation. “The recep-tion we get is almost always

—continued on page 8 ILWU members join other union members at an AFL-CIO “walk and talk.”

“Malama Solomon and Randy Iwase are clearly the bestchoice for the working families of Hawaii. Our organizationworked with Malama when she served in the state senateand with Randy when he served as a member of theHonolulu City Council and as a state senator. We knowthey will work together with labor and not take sides. Weknow they will start with what is best for Hawaii. We need aGovernor and Lt Governor who truly know Hawaii andunderstand the needs of the people at the grassroots.”

—Local President Fred Galdones

ILWU Local 142for Iwase/Solomon

—continued on page 3

container shippingA thousand ILWU members in the longshore

industry in Hawaii make a good living because

of these containers. Their sweat and labor

keeps these containers moving in and out of

Hawaii and between the Neighbor Islands.

VOICE ILWUOF

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L o c a l V i c e P r e s i d e n t ’ s R e p o r t

Democrats are not like Republi-cans and your platform that linkslabor and economic justice provesit.

If all of the items in your laborplatform were to be enacted intolaw, it would go a long waytowards bringing some balanceand fairness between workersand their employers. This is whatgovernment should be doing inthe first place—serve the inter-ests of the majority of theirpeople. And who is the majoritybut workers and their families?

But it would be a tremendousbattle to get these passed in ourLegislature. You would hear thehowls and screams from theRepublicans (and some Demo-crats who think like Republicans)that this would create a badbusiness climate. This woulddrive business away from Hawaii.This would make us uncompeti-tive in a global economy, and onand on.

Let’s talk about global competi-tion. You might be surprised tolearn that American workers nowrank #13 in the world—in termsof their wages and the value oftheir benefits. This is the latestdata available from the US Deptof Labor which compares thecompensation paid to manufac-turing workers in 32 countries in2004.

US workers fall behindUnder Democratic leadership,

under President Bill Clinton,American workers were movingup in this global ranking. Wewere #14 when Clinton took officeand #5 when he left office in2001. Now, under the Republicanmisleadership of George Bush,American workers have droppedback to #13.

You might also be surprised to

hear that even if all of the pointsin your labor platform were to beenacted, the rights and benefits ofAmerican workers would still befar inferior to those guaranteed toEuropean workers under theirlaws.

We’ve been trying, unsuccess-fully, to pass the WorkerRetention Bill—to protect work-ers when a business changesownership. In Norway, it’s beenthe law for a long time—that anew owner must maintain allworkers at the same wages andbenefits. This applies to anyundertaking with one or moreemployees.

We’ve tried to get the Legisla-ture to pass a law so workers arenot punished for using their sickleave. The law in Norway prohib-its employers from dismissingworkers for a period of 12 monthsfor an absence due to sickness. InNorway, the family is respectedand protected—all family leave is

paid leave and is not limited to“serious health conditions.”Workers can use family leave totake their child to the doctor or tocare for a close relative.

Workers are valuedand protected

We talk a lot about safety andhealth in the US but there is noeffective mechanism to achievethis. In Norway, all employerswith 10 or more workers musthave an elected safety represen-tative. Management must consultwith the safety representative inall matters that affect safety andhealth. This includes workload,hours of work, the kind of equip-ment used, and mental healthand stress. There’s even a re-quirement that work be designedso workers are not isolated andcan talk to each other. Companieswith 50 or more workers musthave a Working EnvironmentCommittee where workers havean equal vote with management.

Management must have a planto reduce risks and continuallyimprove conditions in the work-place. If a dangerous situation isnot corrected, the safety repre-sentative can stop production. If aworker is seriously injured on thejob, employers must report theincident immediately to theLabor Department and to thePolice. Doctors must reportconditions they suspect is workrelated.

It goes on and on—four weeksof paid vacation, 11 holidays, a 30minute meal break, limits to the

Labor rights and economicjustice are good for society

by Donna Domingo, Local 142 vice presidentRemarks to the Maui County Democratic Party Convention on May 6, 2006

The Democratic Party is right on to take the lead inlabor rights and economic justice. This goes to theheart of what makes Democrats different fromRepublicans. Republicans pay lip service to some ofthese rights, but they would never actually doanything to advance economic justice. The platformof the Hawaii Republican Party doesn’t even have asection on labor. There is just a single point that theysupport the “concept” of collective bargaining—the“concept” not the practice.

work day and work week—allrequired by law. Sounds like aworkers’ paradise and a businesshell? Sounds like Norway wouldprice itself out of the globaleconomy?

They must be doing somethingright. Norway is #1 in the worldwith a compensation packageworth $34.64 an hour. This is 50percent higher than the USaverage of $23.17 an hour. In thepast 10 years Norway has movedup from #5 to #1 in the world, andthey’ve held this position for thelast four years. This record ofsuccess has also been true formost of the countries in theEuropean Community whichhave labor standards similar tothose of Norway.

How is it possible that a soci-ety, like Norway and theEuropean Community, thatplaces such a high value ontaking care of the vast majority oftheir population—mainly workersand their families. How can sucha society be successful?

Good for workers,good for society

Americans have been condi-tioned, some say brainwashed, tothink that what is best for busi-ness is best for the country andthe people. This kind of thinkingand government policies based onthis thinking is why US workershave dropped to #13 and is fallingbehind the rest of the world.

Norway and the EuropeanCommunity have taken a differ-ent approach. They have adopteda policy that economic and socialprogress must go hand-in-hand.In doing so, they are showingthat healthy and happy workersis good for business. That a safeand non-polluting workplace isgood for society. That treatingworkers with dignity and respectis good for the economy. Thatpartnering with workers andtheir unions is good for theeconomy, good for business, andgood for society. ◆

Donna Domingo


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The VOICE of the ILWU (ISSN 0505-8791) is publishedmonthly except April and combined June/July and October/November issues for $2 per year by Hawaii InternationalLongshore & Warehouse Union, 451 Atkinson Drive,Honolulu, Hawaii 96814. Periodicals postage paid at thepost office of Honolulu, Hawaii.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to VOICE of theILWU, c/o ILWU Local 142, 451 Atkinson Drive, Honolulu,HI 96814. Editorial Board: Fred Galdones, Donna Domingoand Guy K. Fujimura.

Editor: Mel Chang

50 Y e a r s o f C o n t a i n e r S h i p p i n g

The shipping container is so mucha part of our lives that we hardlynotice them as they slip in and out ofour communities. We take them forgranted, but these containers havebeen quietly changing our world.They made it possible for the worldto operate as a single economy. Theymade shipping so inexpensive thateven in Hawaii, in the middle of thePacific Ocean, we can find food andmanufactured goods made or grownanywhere in the world. They arebuilding a network of trade relationsand interconnections that has drawnthe world closer together.

Let us take a closer look at theshipping container—where it camefrom and how it is changing ourlives.

It’s a box that can be found innearly every country of the world.They are 8 feet high and 8 feet wideand 40 feet long. They are madeexactly the same, and the ships,seaport cranes, railcars, and tractortrailer trucks in every container portin the world are all designed tohandle these containers.

One size for allThere are not many standards as

universally accepted as the shippingcontainer. Currency and languagesare different in every country. Videotapes and CDs have different for-mats. Most countries use metricmeasurements but a few countriescontinue to use the English system.Cellphone frequencies and electricvoltages are different. Some coun-tries drive on the right side andother countries drive on the left sideof the road. The only thing that isthe same everywhere in the world isthe shipping container.

This sameness means that acontainer loaded with pharmaceuti-cal supplies made in Panaji, India

can be carried on a broad gauge (5’ 6"wide tracks) train to the Port ofMumbai (Bombay), loaded by a cranemade in Japan onto a container shipbuilt in Korea, unloaded in the Portof New York onto a standard gauge(4’ 8.5" wide tracks) railcar bound forReading, Pennsylvania, where it canbe hauled by a tractor trailer truckfrom the train station to a medicalsupply house in downtown Reading.

Computers, which keep track ofthe container and plot the best route,reposition the empty container to thenearby city of Pittsburgh, where acompany which makes plasticinjection molding machinery has aload of toy making machines boundfor a factory in Chongqing, China.The container returns to New YorkHarbor by train and goes by ship toShanghai via the Panama Canal.From the Port of Shanghai, thecontainer goes by train to its destina-tion in Chongqing. After unloadingin Chongqing the empty container isbarged down the Yangtze River toLiuyang where it takes on a load offireworks and taken by truck toShanghai.

China to HawaiiAt the Port of Shanghai, the truck

enters one of five traffic lanes lead-ing to the main gate. In the 30seconds it takes the truck to reachthe security gate, sensors havescanned the container for radiationand read the container’s radiofrequency identification tag. Theport’s computers instantly matchesthe container with the manifest fromthe Liuyang fireworks company. Thedriver is told where to take thecontainer, and the container’smanifest is sent electronically to theUS Customs and Border Protection.The container is loaded onto aMatson ship bound for Honolulu,

where itwill beunloaded byILWU longshoreworkers in timefor a Labor Dayfireworks display.

This particular con-tainer nearly circled theglobe as it traveled fromIndia, to the United States, toChina, and Honolulu. Add 21million and that is the number ofcontainers that are constantlymoving raw materials and finishedproducts around the world. Thephenomenal growth and expansion ofthe global economy in the last tenyears would not have been possiblewithout the shipping container andthe network of transportation sys-tems that evolved to move thiscontain.

Before containerization, shippingcosts were as high as 40 percent ofthe price of a product, so you grew ormade things and sold them to thepeople in your area. If you wereparticularly good at farming ormaking things, you could sell themfurther away, but the cost of ship-ping was always a major barrier. Theeconomy was mostly local, andbusinesses were owned and con-trolled by people from thecommunity.

GlobalizationToday, shipping costs are 1% or

less of the final price of a product.This makes it possible to sell thingsanywhere—it also makes it possibleto grow and manufacture thingsanywhere. Our supermarkets arestocked with food grown in the US,Mexico, Argentina, Australia, orTaiwan. The clothes and shoes wewear are made in Vietnam orBangladesh. Our television sets andcomputers are made in China.

Our food supply and manufactur-ing have become global and areincreasingly owned and controlled bygiant multi-national corporationsthat have no ties to local communi-ties. Cheaper imports are drivinglocal farmers and manufacturers outof business. Hawaii farmers can’tcompete against the lower pricedmainland chicken from Tyson Foods,the largest chicken producer in theworld. Fresh Del Monte Produce willabandon Hawaii and grow its freshpineapple in Kenya and Costa Rica.

50 years of container shipping—continued from page 1

A global economy can bringgreat benefit to the people of theworld, but not when a handful ofwealthy countries make the rules tobenefit their economies and maxi-mize profits for their multi-nationalcorporations. As containers extendedthe reach of the global economy toevery corner of the world, morepeople and countries began opposingthis profit-driven brand of globaliza-tion. They turned to the UnitedNations to protect the environmentand workers’ rights. In 1997 the UNadopted the Kyoto Protocol to reducegreenhouse gases and in 1998adopted the “Declaration on Funda-mental Principles and Rights atWork” which urged all nations torespect the rights of workers.

In 1999, demonstrations broke outin major cities around the worlddemanding more open and demo-cratic trade policies. In November,the ILWU joined a massive protestagainst the World Trade Organiza-tion in Seattle. The struggle for aglobal economy based on socialjustice continues today.

So the next time you see one ofthose containers, think about howmuch the world has changed becauseof this 8’x8’x40’ box. ◆

A cloudy day on Hawaii’s working waterfront.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the shippingcontainer that brings toilet paper, rice, and nearlyeverything else we have in Hawaii. We see them stackedup on Matson container ships in Honolulu Harbor, onYoung Brothers barges on the Neighbor Islands, or on atrailer at a Foodland loading dock.

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The workers took each bale ofcotton and filled a sling which acrane hoisted into the hold of theship. Another gang of workers onthe ship then moved the cotton toits assigned spot in the cargohold. This method of handlingcargo was called break-bulk andmost cargo was handled in thisfashion.

McLean thought it would befaster and easier just to load hisentire trailer onto the ship. Itwould be many years beforeMcLean had the money andresources to turn this idea intoreality. By 1955, the McLeanfamily trucking business hadgrown from one truck to a fleet of1,700. He sold his share in thebusiness and started a shippingcompany (Pan-Atlantic, later tobe renamed Sea-Land) based onhis idea of moving cargo insidecontainer boxes. He designed andbuilt trailer truck chassis withremovable cargo containers madeof aluminum. He modified twooil-tankers to carry the contain-ers.

The first containership the SSIdeal-X was a modified WWII T2tanker. The containers werestacked two high on a “skeleton”or “mechano” decking built 7 to 8feet above the ship’s deck. T2tankers were 523 feet by 68 feetwith a dead weight tonnage of16,613.

On April 26, 1956, McClean’sfirst container ship, the Ideal-X,

left Newark, New Jersey, and setsail for Houston with a load offifty-eight 35-foot containers,stacked two-high on deck.McLean estimated the cost ofloading a medium-size ship in1956 was $5.83 a ton. The Ideal-Xcost less than $0.16 a ton to load.McLean demonstrated the ben-efits of containerization—shipping cost were lower, shipscould be loaded and unloadedfaster, and there was less damageand pilferage with the securedcontainers. But the idea was slowto catch on.

Most of the established portswere located in the center of citiesand did not have the extra spacerequired for the containers andtrailers. It was expensive toconvert the ships and trailers andto buy the specialized equipmentneeded to handle the containers.There were no standards—McLean used 34-foot containersand Matson was using 24-footcontainers on the West Coast.And finally, the ILA, the unionrepresenting East Coast long-shore workers, resistedcontainerization because it wouldlead to the loss of thousands ofjobs.

Matson and HawaiiTwo years later on August 31,

1958, Matson introduced con-tainer shipping in the Pacificwhen the Hawaiian Merchantbegan carrying twenty 24-foot

Invention of the BoxSea-Land founder Malcom McLean came up with theidea of containerized shipping in 1937 while waitingfor New Jersey longshore workers to move a load ofcotton from his truck onto a ship.

Matson’s first container shipment to Hawaii conThe Hawaiian Merchant was a 7,887 ton C-3containers along with its bulk cargo.

long cargo holders betweenAlameda and Honolulu. The WestCoast longshore workers, orga-nized by the ILWU, adopted adifferent approach to container-ization than the East Coast. In1960, a “mechanization andmodernization’’ agreement wasnegotiated where the union wouldaccept the new technology pro-vided the workers shared in itsbenefits.

Under the agreement, therewould be no layoffs and all work-ers would be guaranteed 35 hoursof pay per week. The workforcewould be reduced by encouragingolder workers to retire, andsubstantial improvements weremade in the retirement benefits.A similar agreement negotiatedin Hawaii provided travel ex-penses for workers choosing toreturn to the Philippines orJapan and the payment of pen-sion benefits in a lump-sum.Hawaii workers could also getmoving expenses to relocate tobusier ports, and a number ofHawaii workers took jobs withthe new container port in Oak-land, California. (There was noroom to expand in San Franciscoso a new port was built in Oak-land.)

StandardizationThe lack of standards was a

major problem as shippers wouldneed two sets of equipment tohandle Matson’s and Sea-Land’scontainers. McLean had patentedmany of his container designssuch as the reinforced cornerfittings that allowed the fullyloaded containers to be lifted bycrane or stacked. In a brilliantmove, McLean gave the Indus-

The first container ship SS Ideal X was a modified World War II tanker.

trial Organization for Standard-ization (ISO) royalty free use ofhis patents. In 1960, the ISOestablished worldwide standardsfor shipping containers, whichwould be 20 feet (now 40 feet) inlength and include McLean’scorner fittings.

At the height of the VietnamWar in the late 1960s, the USmilitary required over 250 ships ayear to move the equipment, food,and supplies required by the500,000 military personnel whowere in Vietnam. The militarylooked at containers as unproventechnology, but gave Sea-Land acontract in 1967 to build andoperate a container port at CamRanh Bay and to runcontainerships filled with mili-tary goods from California toVietnam. Because of their fasterloading and unloading, Sea-Land’s seven container shipswere able to move as much cargoas 28 break-bulk ships. Therewas no longer any doubt aboutthe superiority of containershipping. ◆


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One of the more promising

innovations is the use of tempera-

ture and controlled atmosphere

as part of the quarantine treat-

ment required by some countries

to prevent the spread of insect

pests. This can reduce the

amount of methyl bromide now

used to fumigate shipments.

Methyl bromide gas is very

effective in killing insects, but is

facing a worldwide ban because it

destroys the ozone layer.

Nearly all insects are killed by

starving them of oxygen after

t to Hawaii contained a load of Gerber baby food.7,887 ton C-3 freighter modified to carry 20rgo.

Pest control on container shipsfour days or more of extremely low

oxygen levels of 0.1 percent and

carbon dioxide levels of 80-85

percent. With CA containers, the

four days can be done on board

the ship. The extremely low level of

oxygen can also kill people and

one or two breaths in a low-oxygen

environment can lead to uncon-

sciousness in 10 seconds and

death in a few minutes. CA con-

tainers must be marked with

warning labels and safety precau-

tions must be taken when working

with or around the containers.

Some insects require a

combination of hot water or

vapor-heat treatment which is

okay for tougher fruits like

mango, papaya, and pineapple,

but the heat damages fruits like

cherries. Shorter heating and

then chilling shows promise for

the more delicate fruits.

Researchers are still experi-

menting to find the best

combination of heat, cold and

controlled atmosphere to kill

insects without damaging the

fruit. ◆

New technology that controls

the temperature and atmo-

sphere inside shipping

containers is making it cost-

effective to ship more fruits and

vegetables by sea instead of

air. Computer-controlled con-

tainers adjust the temperature

and the amount of specific

gases such as nitrogen, oxy-

gen, carbon dioxide, and

ethylene inside the container to

kill insects, inhibit mold, and

delay ripening.

The new technology has the

potential of opening new mar-

kets for Hawaii grown

agricultural products by greatly

reducing the cost of shipping.

At the same time, it can lead to

increased competition because

Hi-tech comes to container shippingthe same fruits and vegetables can

be grown in countries further away

from the US or European market

and still arrive in good condition.

Refrigerated containers and

modified atmosphere containers

are nothing new to the industry.

What is new are the developments

in technology that allow precise

control of these conditions during

the ocean voyage, a growing body

of research on the best tempera-

ture and atmosphere for each

commodity, and the greatly re-

duced cost of the equipment. In the

old days, modified atmosphere

meant sealing everything in a

plastic bag and then injecting the

bag with the right mixture of oxy-

gen, nitrogen, and carbon dioxide.

The air in the bag stayed the same

throughout the journey. This was

used extensively for shipping raw

meat, seafood, and poultry.

Today, the word “controlled” is

used instead of “modified” because

the equipment is able to change

the conditions inside the container

throughout the journey. In addition

to maintaining the right tempera-

ture, the system is able to monitor

and replenish nitrogen levels,

remove excess carbon dioxide or

ethylene produced by the natural

respiration of the fruits or veg-

etables, and adjust the humidity of

the air.

The use of controlled atmo-

sphere (CA) containers allows

avocados from Peru to be shipped

through the Panama Canal and

arrive 28 days later in France in

good condition. Controlled atmo-

sphere extends the storage life of

Australian super sweet corn for up

to 5 weeks, which is more than

enough to last the 23 days it takes

to reach the consumer in Japan.

Controlled atmosphere prevents

the growth of mold on South

African lychee which is now being

shipped to Europe.

The conditions must be tailored

to each fruit or vegetable and

extensive research and field trials

are necessary to determine the

ideal temperature and gas levels.

In addition, other factors such as

ripeness and post-harvest handling

and treatment can make a big

difference in the storage life and

condition of the produce. ◆

An ILWU commercialfeaturning Oahudockworkers and othermembers was filmedthis summer and willbegin airing in Novemberon KITV.The commercial is beingshown in conjunctionwith the ILWU’ssponsorship of The AlohaUnited Way’s VolunteerHawaii Program.Please volunteer to helpyour community in anyway you can, and besure to watch for yourILWU commercial thisNovember!

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Finding uses for empty containersThe abundance of cheap, used containers on themarket have led people to use them for all kinds ofpurposes—backyard storage, makeshift shelters anddoghouses. Used 40’ containers sell for between$1000 and $2500. Ebay has a few listed at that priceand 20 footers were selling for less.

Container City on Trinity Buoy Wharf in London used 45 containers to create34 studio apartments.

Giant container ships packedwith manufactured goods fromChina arrive in US ports every day.Those ships return to China with50-60 percent of their load consist-ing of empty containers.

In 2004, the cost of cleaning,inspecting, and repositioning anempty container from the EastCoast to be shipped back to Chinawas about $1,200. The cost ofbuying a new container in Chinawas $1,300, so shippers boughtnew containers and the old contain-ers began to stack up around portsin the US or were sold for otheruses. European ports had the sameproblem with their empties andthousands of older containers weresold.

In 2005, a big increase in the costof steel pushed the price of a newcontainer to over $2,000, and thoseold containers began finding theirway back to China. Recently, steelprices have come down and so havecontainer prices.

Empty containers have created athriving new industry that special-izes in using them to build livingand working spaces for people.Following are a few examples ofcompanies using containers tomake permanent homes, as build-ing blocks for larger structures,and as temporary shelters foremergencies.

Building blocksUrban Space Management used

15 forty foot containers to build athree-story building at TrinityBuoy Wharf in London’sDocklands. Structures usingcontainers as building blocks canbe built faster and at a much lowercost than conventional buildings.The building has 12 living andworking studios and took onlythree months to construct. It wasso successful that the building wasexpanded by adding another 30containers to create an additional22 studios.

Temporary and stackableKeetwonen, Amsterdam, is a 6-

block apartment complex of 1000temporary student housing unitsmade with 40 foot containers.Containers are designed to bestacked together and Keetwonentook advantage of this to create afive-container high building.

The building is temporary be-

cause it may have to be moved infive years. That is when the landlease with the City of Amsterdamexpires, and, if not renewed, thestructure will have to be removed.This is easily done because eachcontainer comes complete withbedroom, bath, and kitchen. Re-moval would just requiredisconnecting the walkways,plumbing and electrical, lifting theunits by crane, and transportingthem by tractor trailer to a newlocation.

Keetwonen units include the“Professor” model, one of sevenprefabricated container homesbuilt by Tempohousing, a Dutchcompany. Some of their models jointwo containers to create larger 16’x 40’ living areas. Tempohousingalso sells a complete cafe-restau-rant made from eight containersstacked in two layers and a smallsupermarket made from containerswith the sides removed.

Mobile sheltersContainers are designed to be

easily transported by railcars,trucks, and ships. Energistx, a UScompany, takes advantage of thisto create container-shelters whichcan be quickly moved and used in adisaster area or construction site.Some of their models made from 40foot containers are: a 6-personbunkhouse with kitchen and bath;a 30-person dormitory with 10triple bunk beds (no bath); and a

one-bedroom one-bath instanthome. Suggested uses includeemployee housing, constructionoffices, housing for relief workers,or emergency shelters.

A house for $12,000?Global Portable Buildings in

Santa Rosa, California sells acomplete 8’ x 40’ portable unit withtoilet, shower, kitchen sink, electri-cal system and lighting, insulatedwalls and ceiling, windows, andvinyl floor for around $16,000.Options include a solar panel forelectrical power, bedroom or officepartitions, and decorative roof. Asimilarly outfitted 8’ x 20’ con-tainer runs around $11,500. Verylittle site preparation is required.

The units may have to be modi-fied to meet local building codes.

Bigger & fancierIf you want a bigger and fancier

The Keetwonen student housing is made from 1000 containers stacked five-high in the city of Amsterdam, Netherlands.

house, Quik House sells a kit offive 40’ containers that make athree bedroom, two bath, two-story,2,000-square-foot home withskylights and large glass windows.The cost of the basic kit which isjust the precut containers andglass is $76,000 plus shipping. Thedeluxe kit includes the electricalwiring, light fixtures, plumbing,inside walls, carpet, kitchen appli-ances, and more for $160,000 plusshipping.

Termite proof

The US trade deficit has createda tremendous problem of emptycontainers. An estimated one thirdof all truck and ship movements inthe US are involved in returningempty containers. This adds up tobillions of dollars wasted a year forthe shipping industry. The move-ment of empties adds to trafficcongestion on the highways, espe-cially in areas like Long Beach andLos Angeles. Empty containersstack up in terminals and take upvaluable space.

Converting containers intohomes could help reduce thenumber of empty containers pilingup around ports and also increasethe supply of affordable housing.Containers are termite and fire-proof, earthquake resistant, andcan stand up to hurricane forcewinds of 175 mph. Containerscould be designed and built withremoval panels for doors andwindows which would furtherlower the cost of conversion. A littlemore attention to the exteriorwould make the container homesmore attractive.

Who knows? If the idea catcheson, container homes could be a bigUS export industry. ◆


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I L W U M e m b e r s h i p S e r v i c e s

2006 pensioner conference held on Kauai

They got down to business andheard from speakers likeMillannie Mattson, daughter ofSenator Daniel Akaka; Rep. MinaMorita; Ah Quon McElrath;gubernatorial candidate RandyIwase; and our own PresidentFred Galdones, Secretary-Trea-surer Guy Fujimura and KauaiDivision Director Clayton DelaCruz. They passed resolutions tosupport ILWU political action,revitalize the ILWU pensionerprogram, and support Del MonteHawaii workers. They evenengaged in heated discussionsoutside of the conference onspecial accounts held by theILWU Memorial Association.

WAILUA—The ILWU pensioner program is alive andwell, judging from the 120 pensioners who attendedthe 23rd Biennial State Conference at the Aloha BeachResort on Kauai in June. The pensioners may be intheir 70’s and 80’s, but they are active and full of life.

The pensioners were there tohave a good time—and that theydid. They went shopping atKukui Grove, toured Poipu andSpouting Horn, and found time tomake new friends and get reac-quainted with old friends from allislands.

And they had fun. Who wouldthink that John Arisumi would bethe “king of comedy” with his off-color jokes? Or that Rose Mattos,along with Ricky Dangaran,would volunteer to lead the groupin singing? Or that the Mauiladies would be so gorgeous andtalented in Filipino dance?

The biennial conference makesall of this fun possible. Every

other year, the conference isrotated among the islands. In2008, the conference will be heldon the Big Island. The ILWUMemorial Association pays fortwo delegates from each club toattend the conference and fundsare available through specialaccounts for others to attend.Some pensioners even pay theirown way to attend what theyhave found to be a safe, enjoyableway to visit another island. Thisyear, 20 pensioners from Mauiattended the conference at theirown expense.

Many thanks to all who madethe 2006 pensioner conference asuccess:

Clayton Dela Cruz and his gang

for cooking chicken hekka andpork & peas the first night;Michael Machado for arrangingfor the buses and setting up thegames at the picnic the last daywith help from the Division;Jesus Guirao, president of theState Association, for chairing theconference proceedings; theDivision Pensioner Coordinatorsfor taking care of the pensionersat the conference; club represen-tatives for providing reports ontheir club activities and showingeveryone how truly active theyare as seniors; and all the pen-sioners who attended theconference for living the good lifeand being positive examples ofsenior living. ◆

ATTENTION ALL BOWLERS!

The 50th ILWU StatewideMixed Bowling Tournament

will be held on Oahu on Nov. 24-25, 2006.

Call your Division Sports Coordinator for moreinformation: 935-3727 (Hawaii); 244-9191 (Maui);

245-3374 (Kauai); or 949-4161 (Oahu).Memorial Association President Robert G. Girald installs the State PensionersAssociation officers for the next biennium: (l-r) President Tom Poy, VicePresident Ricky Dangaran, Secretary Mae Pung, and Treasurer Jesus Guirao

VOICE ILWUOF


ILWU Rewards Program I L W U P o l i t i c a l A c t i o nUnion “walk and talk” for political action—continued from page 1

U.S. SENATE ................... Daniel K. AkakaU.S. HOUSE DIST. 1 ...... Neil Abercrombie

GOVERNOR ........................... Randy IwaseLt. GOVERNOR ............. Malama Solomon

STATE SENATE DISTRICT 9 Palolo-Kaimuki-Kapahulu .......... Les Ihara10 Manoa-Moiliili-Makiki .... Brian Taniguchi11 Punchbowl-Ala Moana-McCully ..... CarolFukunaga13 Kalihi-Liliha-Nuuanu ........ Suzanne ChunOakland14 Moanalua-Aiea-Halawa ValleyDonna Kim19 Makakilo-Kapolei-Waikele . Janice Lehner20 Waipahu-Ewa-Ewa Beach William Espero24 Kaneohe-Kailua-Enchanted Lake ........ JillTokuda

HONOLULU CITY COUNCILDistrict II ......................... Donovan Dela CruzDistrict VI ................................... Rodney Tam

Oahu Division • ILWU EndorsementsPrimary Election • Saturday, September 23, 2006

STATE HOUSE DISTRICT17 Kalama V.-Hawaii Kai .. Avelino Halagao18 Kahala-Aina Haina .................. Lyla Berg19 Kaimuki-Waialae ................ Michael Abe20 St. Louis Hts.-Palolo ............. Calvin Say21 Kapahulu-Diamond Hd . Scott Y. Nishimoto22 McCully-Pawaa ..................... Scott Saiki24 Manoa ............................... Kirk Caldwell25 Tantalus-Makiki .................. Della Belatti26 Punchbowl-Nuuanu ............. Sylvia Luke27 Liliha-Puunui ............... Sesnita Moepono28 Iwilei-Downtown .................Karl Rhoads29 Kalihi-Sand Island ............... Jun Abinsay30 Alewa-Moanalua .............. Terry Visperas31 Salt Lake-Tripler ................. Glenn Wakai33 Aiea-Halawa ...................... Blake Oshiro34 Newtown-Pearl City ........ K. Mark Takai36 Pearl City-Palisades ............. Roy Takumi37 Mililani-Waipio ................. Ryan Yamane38 Mililani-Mililani Mauka ...... Marilyn Lee39 Wahiawa .......................... Marcus Oshiro40 Makakilo-Kapolei ................. Sharon Har43 Ewa Beach-Iroquois Pt. .R. Scott Belford44 Honokai Hale-Nanakuli ... Michael Kahikina45 Waianae-Makaha ..... Maile Shimabukuro46 Kahuku-N. Shore ........ Michael Magaoay48 Kaneohe ....................................... Ken Ito49 Maunawili-Enchanted Lake . Pono Chong51 Lanikai-Waimanalo ........ Tommy Waters

Issued by ILWU Hawaii Political Action Committee, 451 Atkinson Dr., without the consent of any candidate.

OPEN ENDORSEMENT:U.S. House District 2-Rural Oahu and NeighborIslands; Senate District 15; House Districts 23,32, 35, 41, 42, & 47; Council District VIII;Board of Education; Office of Hawaiian Affairs.An “OPEN” endorsement means that the unionhad no recommendation for any candidate andmembers may vote as they choose.

Issued by ILWU Hawaii Political Action Committee,451 Atkinson Dr., without the consent of anycandidate.

U.S. SENATE ........................... Daniel K. Akaka

GOVERNOR ................................... Randy IwaseLt. GOVERNOR ..................... Malama Solomon

STATE SENATE4 Wailuku-Waihee-Kahului-Paia ...Shan Tsutsui

STATE HOUSE8 Wailuku-Waiehu-Kahului ................ Joe Souki9 Kahului-Paia ............................. Bob Nakasone10 W. Maui ...................................... Kam Tanaka11 S. Maui ...................................... Stephen West12 Upcountry .............................. Kyle Yamashita13 E. Maui-Lanai-Molokai ............... Mele Carroll

MAUI COUNCILWailuku ................ Michael VictorinoKahului ................ Joseph PontanillaMakawao-Haiku-Paia .. Mike MolinaUpcountry .................... Gladys BaisaLanai ........................... Riki HokamaMolokai ...................... Dennia MateoHana ............................ Bill Medeiros

BOARD OF EDUCATIONMaui .......................... Mary Cochran

Maui Division • ILWU EndorsementsPrimary Election • Saturday, September 23, 2006

OPEN ENDORSEMENT:U.S. House District 2-Rural Oahu and Neighbor Islands; Office of Hawaiian Affairs. An“OPEN” endorsement means that the union had no recommendation for any candidate andmembers may vote as they choose.

U.S. SENATE ................ Daniel K. Akaka

GOVERNOR ........................ Randy IwaseLt. GOVERNOR .......... Malama Solomon

STATE HOUSE14 Kapaa-Hanalei ............ Hermina Morita15 Lihue-Koloa ........................ Linda Estes16 Waimea-Lehua-Niihau .. Roland Sagum

KAUAI COUNTY COUNCIL(AT LARGE)Tim Bynum Jay FurfaroShaylene Iseri-Carvalho Daryl KaneshiroRon Kouchi Mel RapozoJoAnn Yukimura

BOARD OF EDUCATIONMaui ....................................Mary Cochran

Kauai Division • ILWU EndorsementsPrimary Election • Saturday, September 23, 2006

OPEN ENDORSEMENT:U.S. House District 2-Rural Oahu and Neighbor Islands, Kauai Mayor, Office of HawaiianAffairs. An “OPEN” endorsement means that the union had no recommendation for any candidateand members may vote as they choose.Issued by ILWU Hawaii Political Action Committee, 451 Atkinson Dr., without the consent of any candidate.

Hawaii Division • ILWU EndorsementsPrimary Election • Saturday, September 23, 2006

U.S. SENATE ........................... Daniel K. Akaka

GOVERNOR ................................... Randy IwaseLt. GOVERNOR ..................... Malama Solomon

STATE SENATE2 Waiakea Uka-Volcano ........ Russell Kokubun

STATE HOUSE1 N. Hilo-Hamakua-N. Kohala ...Dwight Takamine2 Hilo .............................................. Jerry Chang3 Hilo, Keaau, Mt. View ................ Clifton Tsuji5 S. Kona, Ka‘u ........................... Robert Herkes6 Kailua, Keauhou ........................ Joshua Green7 North Kona, South Kohala .......... Cindy Evans

BOARD OF EDUCATIONMaui ....................... Mary Cochran

HAWAII COUNTY COUNCILDistrict I ................. Fred HolschuhDistrict II ................. Donald IkedaDistrict III .............. Paula HelfrichDistrict IV ..................... Stacy HigaDistrict V .................. Gary SafarikDistrict VI ........... Robert JacobsonDistrict VIII ............... Angel PilagoDistrict IX .............. Peter HoffmanIssued by ILWU Hawaii Political ActionCommittee, 451 Atkinson Dr., without theconsent of any candidate.

OPEN ENDORSEMENT:U.S. House District 2-Rural Oahu and Neighbor Islands; Council Dist. VII; Office ofHawaiian Affairs. An “OPEN” endorsement means that the union had no recommendationfor any candidate and members may vote as they choose.

warm and friendly,” said Lance,an ILWU member from theHonolulu Advertiser. “People arehappy to be hearing from theirunion and arevery interested inwhat we have to say.”

The program has proven to bevery successful in past electionsand is the centerpiece of the“Labor 2006” campaign of theAFL-CIO. Individual unionsallow the national AFL-CIO tocombine their separate member-ship lists into a master list ofunion voters. This master list isthen used to create the weekly“walk and talk” list for the volun-teers.

On August 12th, over fortyvolunteers from the HGEA, theIBEW, the ILWU, and otherunions covered the Makiki andTantalus areas in Honolulu to

build support for US SenatorDaniel Akaka, State SenatorCarol Fukunaga, and DellaBelatti, who is running for theState House of Representatives.Each team of two or three peoplegets a folder with a list of about40-60 union households to con-tact. To reduce driving, thehouses are on the same street orin the same area.

The previous two Saturdays—July 29 and August 5—targetedthe Kalihi and Alewa Heightsareas. The “walking and talking”urged union members to supportSenator Daniel Akaka because ofhis solid and stronger record onthe issues important to workingfamilies great. Terry Visperas, acandidate for the state house,also received the support ofHawaii’s labor organizations.

Depending on the number ofvolunteers who show up eachweek, the teams can make con-tact with between 500-1000 unionvoters. Most of the walking andtalking is planned for Oahu andin selected areas on the NeighborIslands.

The “walking and talking” willcontinue every Saturday up tothe Primary Elections on Satur-day, September 23. There willprobably be a short break andthen resume until the GeneralElections on November 7.

You can helpMore volunteers are needed

and you can help. This is some-thing any union member can do.No special skill is required, just awillingness to spend a few hoursfor a couple of Saturday morningsto help make a better future foryou, your family, and all workingpeople.

Get rewardsAll ILWU active members,

pensioners and their families who

participate in political actionactivities receive entry forms forprize drawings that will takeplace after the November GeneralElection. Call your Division PACCoordinators at the number(s)below for details on how you helpout with political action and havea chance to receive rewards, too.

Your vote counts and your helpcan make the difference in theupcoming election.

Don’t forget to vote—either byabsentee ballot or at the polls onSaturday, September 23, 2006. Ifyou would like a voter registra-tion form, absentee ballotapplication or need help gettingto the polls, call your union officetoday!

Hawaii Division 935-3727★

Maui Division 244-9191★

Kauai Division 245-3374★

Oahu Division 949-4161

volume 46 • no. 6 - ilwu local 142...voice ilwu of page 2 the august 2006 l o c a l v i c e p r e...

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