There’s an old saying:  “What doesn’t kill you will make you stronger.”  That sure describes our Union in 2011.  The economy tried to kill us…but we got stronger with our Emergency Back-To-Work Agreement to keep more of our guys working.  Governor Lingle tried to kill us by vetoing our “Local Jobs for Local People Law”…but we got stronger and used our muscle to win an override of her veto so now more Local Jobs will go to Local People.  The scabs tried to kill us…but we got stronger and won the big work at Disney, Kamehameha Schools, housing projects, hotels, and the new rail project.  Every single time something or someone tried to kill us, we got stronger.

Let’s be clear.  For all the negative things some have said about our new Union structure, it is that structure that made us stronger.  It is always hard to change the old ways.  But we had to, we did, we were right, and we are stronger.

Your union has been overhauled to Organize, Service, and Train in a structure to better handle this new decade and far into the future so that even your children and your grandchildren can be proud to say I am a union member.

You now have four Agents to service you.  You now have seven Organizers to level the playing field for our contractors to compete to get you more work.  You now have a Training department not only for apprentices but for journeypersons upgrading to keep up with all the new products that are coming into our industries.

We look to 2011 with hope and optimism.  We have new tools in our toolbox to take our union where it has never been before.

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!

Organizing is Power

The new Organizing Department has already locked in the DR Horton development, which is mostly in Kapolei and all neighbor islands covering approximately 15,000 homes; and Kamehameha Schools which will cover all of Kamehameha Schools projects and the Kakaako development.

Nathaniel Kinney and his seven staff members are organizing contractors, having job actions, hand billing and picketing.  Actions speak louder than words.

Servicing is Strength

Joseph Bazemore his six servicing agents keep us strong.  They enforce our current contracts and negotiate improvements in our next ones.  The new Drywall Tapers Agreement is now in place.  The Floorlayers Agreement is now on the table.  And no matter how tough the times are… we’re tougher.  We’ll prevail in bargaining.

The Service Department team has assigned Mitchell “Shima” Shimabikuro to Maui.  The whole team is handling referrals of members, workers comp issues and unemployment.

Training is our Edge

Richard Vieira, Director of Training, and his staff of five have been conducting multi-trade training classes such as First Aid and CPR.  They are planning to add more classes on all islands to meet State and Federal compliance laws.  Being the best at what we do is our edge.  Training is how we keep that edge.

Our hands build Hawaii… And a stronger union!

Stop.  District Council 50 and the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT) can’t keep doing business the same old way.  It’s not working.  It’s time to stop.

Look.  Look at the facts:  Over the last several decades, our International Union has gone from representing 50 percent of people working in our trades to just 8 percent.  We need to change things.

Listen.  After months and months of meetings, District Council 50 was selected to become the model for a new structure:

• Growth through organizing,
• Strength through service,
• Value through training.

Our new model will be implemented throughout the country and Canada!

District Council 50 is your Union.  You elected us to lead.  Our job is to change things to build a stronger union.  We are!

Our first big demonstration at the Capitol and our radio and television announcements sent the message to our politicians – they have to support our “Local Jobs for Local People” campaign.

It’s working!

The legislative leadership in both the House and the Senate have taken up our cause and are pushing the legislation we proposed to protect local jobs for local people on any taxpayer funded project.

We have just started a combination of our VOC and our Political Action demonstrations.

Our rally at the Yacht Harbor Tower turned out to be very successful — there were over 100 members, spouses, children – all demanding our jobs.  And thanks to them, we got the flooring contractor knocked off and got three of our painters put to work to finish up what the non-union painting company was doing.  But that’s just the start.

We are leafleting at Walmart to protest their using painters from the Mainland on two renovation projects.  Tell your family and friends to complain to Walmart managers.  And let them know if Walmart won’t hire local people, then local people won’t shop at Walmart.

By the time you receive this, we will have had more rallies and demonstrations against developers, owners, general contractors, subcontractors, and anybody else who is going to deny us work opportunities.

We will lead the fight.  We will win the fight.  But only if you join the fight.

Thank you and Mahalo.

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