The ‘Local Jobs for Local People’ law passed yet out-of-state job poachers are being paid good taxpayer money. According to Act 68, out-of-state workers should not be working on state and city jobs. The economy has not turned around and our workers are facing their third economically devastating year. It doesn’t make sense. We won but the legislatures beholden to Lingle are still trying to prevent what is rightfully law from happening.

Last spring, the bills dubbed the “Local Jobs for Local People” bill, passed both houses only to be vetoed by then governor Linda Lingle. Then both houses unanimously overrode the governor’s veto to make Act 68 law. However, taxpayer money is still being paid to out-of-state workers for city jobs siphoning money out of the local economy still stuck in the recession and in a deep deficit and facing a 22% Japanese tourism downturn this year.

The International Union of Painters and Allied Trades is a labor union of 140,000 plus men and women across the United States and Canada who are committed to providing the finest craftsmanship in the collective trades. Locally, District Council 50 was formed in 1999 and is comprised of painters, glaziers, architectural metal and glassworkers, carpet, linoleum and soft tile installers and drywall finishers and tapers. DC50 is more than 2,000 strong in the state of Hawaii.

Recently, the Organizing and Servicing agents went out to visit District Council 50 members. They are working at the site of the newly designed Walt Disney’s Aulani resort in West Oahu.   Construction began in March of 2009 and the first set of 200 rooms is scheduled to be completed by August 2011.  Currently, DC50 has approximately 120 members working on the project from drywall tapers to floor layers.  Disney has released an economic impact study.  Compiled by CBRE Consulting with the assistance of the University of Hawaii Economic Research Organization, it estimated that in construction work alone $634 million will pour into the local economy and will create approximately 4,800 jobs.  The study also stated that once the resort opens, it is expected to generate about $271 million a year and create about 2,400 jobs.   A huge “Mahalo” to Disney for its foresight, belief and global ingenuity by creating a first class resort in Hawaii.  Because of the Aulani resort, many of our signatory contractors such as, George Raymond Painting, Group Builders, Island Flooring, Jade Painting, Fuller Glass Company,  Kalu Glass Company, Kula Glass Company, KHS&S, WE Painting, and Zelinsky Paining, who employ DC50 members, continue to work during this down economy!  Again, thank goodness for Disney!