Hawai'i State AFL-CIO
Twenty Second Biennial Convention
2007

 
GENERAL RESOLUTIONS:
  No. 1   in Recognition of Russell K. Okata
  No. 2   in Recognition of Harry H.K. Kame'enui
  No. 3   in Support of the United Way Fund Drive
  No. 4   Relating to Labor's Community Services Program
  No. 5   in Support of Pacific Beach Hotel Workers
  No. 6   in Recognition of Herbert S.K. Kaopua, Sr.
  No. 7   in Support of Iraq's Labor Movement and Calling for an
  End to the Occupation of Iraq
 
LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTIONS:
  No. 1   in Support of Employee Free Choice Act
  No. 2   in Support of Health Care Reform
  No. 3   in Support of Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA)
  No. 4   in Opposition to Do-Not-Mail Legislation
  No. 5   in Support of Vote by Mail
  No. 6   in Support of Civil Unions in Hawai'i



General Resolution No. l
RESOLUTION IN RECOGNITION OF RUSSELL K. OKATA

WHEREAS, Russell K. Okata will retire as Executive Director of HGEA, AFSCME Local 152 at the end of the year after devoting 37 years to HGEA and the labor movement; and

WHEREAS, Brother Okata. after attending public schools in Hilo, graduated from the University of Hawaii in 1967 with a BBA and then entered public service as a personnel management specialist with the state's Department of Personnel Services; and

WHEREAS, he then started his career with HGEA in 1970 as a research statistician and rose through the ranks as an administrative officer, Deputy Executive Director, and then from March 1981 as Executive Director; and

WHEREAS, Brother Okata has worked tirelessly to improve the lives of not only the members of HGEA but that of the entire state of Hawaii by his participation and leadership in innumerable community organizations including the Blood Bank of Hawaii, Bishop Museum, Judicial Council of Hawai'i, The Rehabilitation Hospital of the Pacific, Army Civilian Advisory Group; and

WHEREAS, his dedication has been recognized through numerous awards including Citizen of the Year by the Boy Scouts of America Aloha Council, the NAACP Award for Outstanding Community Service, Distinguished Honoree by the Public

Schools of Hawaii Foundation, Art Takei Leadership Award by APALA, and the Distinguished Alumni Award by the University of Hawai'i at Hilo; and

WHEREAS, in addition to his accomplishments, Brother Okata is blessed to have the unconditional love and support of his wife Gail, his daughter Camille, and his son Ryan; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the delegates to the Twenty-Second Biennial Convention of the Hawai'i State AFL-CIO that this body honors and commends Russell K. Okata for his dedicated years of service to HGEA, Local 152, to the Hawai'i State AFL-CIO, and to the greater community; and

BE IT RESOLVED that this body extends its best wishes for continued good health, joy, and happiness in all his future endeavors.

Submitted by: Hawai'i State AFL-CIO Executive Board

General Resolution No. 2

RESOLUTION IN RECOGNITION OF HARRY H.K. KAME'ENUI

WHEREAS, Harry H.K. Kame'enui retired as Business Manager-Financial Secretary of IBEW, Local 1260 in August 2007 after devoting over 42 years to IBEW and the labor movement; and

WHEREAS, Brother Kame'enui was initiated into the IBEW on February 19, 1965 and served as its Business Manager-Financial Secretary from May 1, 1997 until his retirement; and

WHEREAS, prior to his last position, he served in various positions in the Local such as Trustee, and as a member of the Executive Committee, Negotiating Committee, Strike Committee, Joint Safety Advisory Committee, Executive Board, and as a Business Representative; and

WHEREAS, Brother Kame'enui also served as delegate to many conventions and meetings both for the Local and the International including International Conventions, Utility Conferences, TV Broadcast & Recording Conferences, Chevron Coordinating Council Meeting Conferences, District Business Manager Meetings, District Progress Meetings, LAMOAC Meetings, Telecommunications Meetings, Joint Apprenticeship Committees, and the Hawaii State Association of Electrical Workers Conferences; and

WHEREAS, in 2002, under his leadership, the workers at the Guam Naval Facility became members of Local 1260; and

WHEREAS, due to his commitment and dedication to the labor movement, Brother Kame'enui has given much of his personal time and energy to better the quality of life in our community; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the delegates to the Twenty-Second Biennial Convention of the Hawai'i State AFL-CIO that this body honors and commends Harry H.K. Kame'enui for his dedicated years of service to IBEW, Local 1260, to the Hawai'i State AFL-CIO, and to the greater community; and

BE IT RESOLVED that this body extends its best wishes for continued good health, joy, and happiness in all his future endeavors.

Submitted by: Hawai'i State AFL-CIO Executive Board

General Resolution No. 3
RELATING TO THE SUPPORT OF THE UNITED WAY FUND DRIVE

WHEREAS, the United Way's 2007 annual fund drive is in full swing and support is needed to reach the statewide goal of $12.7 million which is used by agencies to continue providing needed services to our membership and our community; and

WHEREAS, one out of every two persons receives important assistance and services from United Way agencies and therefore, when we support United Way, we support ourselves, our families, and our friends, and

WHEREAS, Labor plays a unique role in the United Way as the only group that crosses all three sections of the community campaign-federal, private, and public, and

WHEREAS, the partnership between Labor and the United Way has been a beneficial and productive one and it is through this partnership that the Labor's Community Services Liaison Program was formed, and

WHEREAS, the United Way is the only organization that accords Labor official recognition with a Memorandum of Understanding, Labor Committees, and Labor Liaisons, and while there may be other worthwhile charities, only the United Way relates to Labor on an official level; and

WHEREAS, giving through the United Way is one means of sharing those benefits we have obtained through the collective efforts of the men and women of organized labor; and

WHEREAS, from September through the end of November, the United Way conducts its fund drive the labor's commitment because together, we can make a difference; now, therefore

BE IT RESOLVED by the delegates to the Twenty-Second Biennial Convention of the Hawai'i State AFL-CIO; that we support the United Way fund drive and will encourage all affiliates to support the fund drive; and

BE IT RESOLVED that certified copies of the Resolution be transmitted to all United Way Professional Officers and Chief Volunteers, AFL-CIO Community Services Liaisons, Labor's Community Services Committee Chairs, and all unions in the State of Hawaii.

Submitted by: Labor's Community Services Committee

General Resolution No. 4
RELATING TO LABOR'S COMMUNITY SERVICES PROGRAM

WHEREAS, the basic principle of the Labor's Community Services Program is that union members are first and foremost citizens of their community, and that union members must cooperate with their fellow citizens in making the community a good place in which to live, to work, and to raise children; and

WHEREAS, union members must be concerned about the availability of adequate health, welfare, and recreational services for the whole community; and

WHEREAS, through the Labor's Community Services Program, union members across the nation have been instrumental in making the community health and welfare agencies more representative of the people and more responsive to human needs, and

WHEREAS, through the Labor's Community Services Program, unions have been better able to respond to the health and human service needs of our members and have helped to increase the access to and knowledge of these essential services; and

WHEREAS, an important part of the Labor's Community Services Program is our mutually beneficial partnership between the United Way and Labor which has benefited union members and all citizens of our community and has been a means of increasing Labor's contributions to our community and increasing union members' involvement in our community; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the delegates to the Twenty-Second Biennial Convention of the Hawai'i State AFL-CIO that this body continue it full support of the Labor's Community Services Program and that all local unions support the Labor's Community Services Committees on all islands to meet the health and human services needs of union members and to broaden the unions' interest in the community services program; and

BE IT RESOLVED that certified copies of the Resolution be transmitted to all United Way Professional Officers and Chief Volunteers, AFL-CIO Community Services Liaisons, Labor's Community Services Committee Chairs, and all unions in the State of Hawai'i.

Submitted by: Labor's Community Services Committee

General Resolution No. 5
RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF PACIFIC BEACH HOTEL WORKERS

WHEREAS, the workers of the Pacific Beach Hotel first began organizing themselves into the ILWU Local 142 five years ago; and

WHEREAS, the workers endured and prevailed over a vicious anti-union campaign by management; and

WHEREAS, the first representational election was held on July 1, 2002, but the anti-union campaign by management was so bad that the Union filed charges against the company and the National Labor Relations Board in Washington, DC ruled in February 2003 (after a long delay) that 19 of the challenged ballots would be counted and if the Union won the election would stand, but if the company won, the election would be set aside and a new election held; and

WHEREAS, a second representational election was held on July 24, 2004 which was closely won by the workers, but because of delays by the hotel management, the election is not certified by the NLRB until August 2005; and

WHEREAS, the workers have been in negotiations for twenty months for a fair contract, which includes a union security clause; and

WHEREAS, the workers were paid some $4 to $5 dollars below the industry standard and received no pay raise for ten years until they got union representation; and

WHEREAS, on January 1, 2007 management of the Pacific Beach Hotel was transferred from HTH Corporation to Pacific Beach Corporation, LLC, an Outrigger Enterprises affiliate; and

WHEREAS, at that time. HTH management assured the workers there would be "no change in their current position, their current rate of pay, benefit level and seniority" and "employment would be continuous and Outrigger will continue the operation of the hotel without interruption"; and

WHEREAS, after only eight months, HTH announced that they will resume management of the Pacific Beach Hotel on December 1, 2007; and

WHEREAS, HTH management has made no assurance that their workers would have a seamless transition back to employment with HTH and has, in fact, made all workers reapply for their.jobs as "at will" employees; and

WHEREAS, HTH management has not committed to honor any of the tentative agreements already negotiated and has not agreed to a fair contract with a bona fide union security clause Alien they resume management of the Pacific Beach Hotel; now, therefore

BE IT RESOLVED, by the delegates to the Twenty-Second Biennial Convention of the Hawai'i State AFL-CIO that this body supports the workers of the Pacific Beach Hotel in their fight to be seamlessly retained in their.jobs when HTH resumes management of the hotel on December 1, 2007 and to obtain a fair contract including a union security clause: and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Hawaii State AFL-CIO urges all of its affiliate unions and other unions not the patronize that Pacific Beach Hotel until the workers of the Pacific Beach Hotel obtain their just goals; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Hawaii State AFL-CIO urges all of its affiliate unions and other unions to communicate Corine Hayashi, owner of the hotel, and Robert Minacola, Regional Vice President, their full support of the Pacific Beach Hotel workers' struggle for a seamless transition back to HTH management and for a "fair contract" by not patronizing the Hotel; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that should a consumer boycott of Pacific Beach Hotel is necessary, the Hawai'i State AFL-CIO will urge the full cooperation of its affiliate unions in urging their members to participate in the boycott of the Hotel.

Submitted by: IL WU, Local 142

General Resolution No. 6
RESOLUTION IN RECOGNITION OF HERBERT S.K. KAOPUA, SR.

WHEREAS, Herbert S.K. Kaopua, Sr. retired as Business Manager/Financial Secretary-Treasurer for the Plumbers & Fitters Local 675 on September 30, 2007, after 47 years of dedicated service; and

WHEREAS, Brother Kaopua, Sr., after graduating from Kaimuki High School in 1959, started as a pipefitter/plumber at Bechtel Company and over the years rose through the ranks in the trade and in 1977 was employed by the Plumbers & Fitters as a Business Agent, then became the union's Vice President in 1981 and from 1990 until his retirement served as its as Business Manager/Financial Secretary-Treasurer; and

WHEREAS, Brother Kaopua, Sr. has worked tirelessly to improve the lives of not only the members of the Plumbers & Fitters but that of the entire community by being the Founder and Chairman of the Hawaii Union Builders Foundation, and serving on the Stadium Authority, Apprenticeship Advisory Board, Aloha Council Boy Scouts of America, Hawaii Red Cross, Land Use Commission, Board of Water Supply Commission, `Aha Punana Leo, Sheraton Hawaii Bowl Executive Committee, and Drug Free Hawaii; and

WHEREAS, his dedication has been recognized through numerous awards including Citizen of the Year by the Boy Scouts of America Aloha Council, the NAACP Award for Outstanding Community Service. Distinguished Honoree by the Public Schools of Hawai'i Foundation, Art Takei Leadership Award by APALA, and the Distinguished Alumni Award by the University of Hawai'i at Hilo; and

WHEREAS, Brother Kaopua, Sr. has been recognized for his commitment and dedication by the Public Schools of Hawaii Foundation, the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame as its Earl Galdeira Community Service Award Honoree, and by the Aloha Council Boy Scouts of America with its Silver Beaver Award; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the delegates to the Twenty-Second Biennial Convention of the Hawaii State AFL-CIO that this body, honors and commends Herbert Kaopua, Sr. for his dedicated years of service to the Plumbers & Fitters Local 675, the Hawaii State AFL-CIO, and the greater community; and

BE IT RESOLVED that this body extends its best wishes for continued good health, joy, and happiness in all his future endeavors.

Submitted by: Hawai'i State AFL-CIO Executive Board

General Resolution No. 7
RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF IRAQ'S LABOR MOVEMENT AND CALLING FOR AN END TO THE OCCUPATION OF IRAQ

WHEREAS, it has been over two years since the AFL-CIO called for the rapid return of US forces from Iraq; and

WHEREAS, in 2005 the Iraqi trade union movement declared, "The principal obstacle to peace, stability, and the reconstruction of Iraq is the occupation... The occupation must end in all its forms, including military bases and economic domination;" and

WHEREAS, two years later, US troops - the vast majority from working families - continue to serve honorably in our country's occupation of Iraq, In some cases having been redeployed two, three, or more times, at great cost to themselves and their families; and

WHEREAS, over 3,800 US troops have been killed and the lives of tens of thousands of US service members and their families have been affected by injuries sustained in Iraq; and

WHEREAS, over 2,000 Hawai'i National Guard troops - mostly working people - will be deployed to Kuwait for at least eight months next year in support of the occupation of Iraq, leaving children without parents, men and women without their spouses, families without incomes, and Hawai'i without the citizen-soldiers we need in case of a natural disaster; and

WHEREAS, over $450 billion, which could have been spent on health care, public education, housing, and other needs of working people, has been allocated for the war so far (an estimated $1.5 billion from Hawai'i taxpayers); and

WHEREAS, over $40 billion has been paid in government contracts to US companies such as Halliburton and the anti-union Stevedoring Services of America, which have brought the Iraqi people little or none of the promised reconstruction; and

WHEREAS, at least 4 million Iraqis have been displaced by the ongoing violence, while hundreds of thousands have died as a direct result of the war and occupation; and

WHEREAS, the government of Iraq continues to ban public sector workers from unionizing, in direct contradiction to international labor standards and the desires of Iraq's working people, leading to the raiding of Iraqi union offices, the seizure of their bank accounts, and the threatening of their leaders with arrest; and

WHEREAS, US occupation forces have been used to support the Iraqi government's anti-union activities; and

WHEREAS, against the wishes of Iraqi unions and the vast majority of the Iraqi people, the US is pressuring the Iraqi government to privatize Iraq's most precious resource, its oil, and sell control of it to foreign multinational corporations; therefore

BE IT RESOLVED, that the Hawai'i State AFL-CIO calls upon the US Congress and President to support our troops by beginning their immediate redeployment from Iraq and by allocating all necessary funds to take care of them when they return; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Hawai'i State AFL-CIO calls on the Iraqi government to uphold basic labor rights in Iraq and immediately recognize and bargain with Iraqi workers through their unions; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Hawai'i State AFL-CIO calls on the US Congress to reject attempts to force Iraq to privatize its most precious natural resource, its oil supply, against the will of the Iraqi people.

Submitted by Pride At Work Hawai'i

Legislative Resolution No. 1
RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF EMPLOYEE FREE CHOICE ACT

WHEREAS, in 1935, the United States established, by law, that workers must be free to form unions; and

WHEREAS, the freedom to form or join a union is internationally recognized by the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights as a fundamental human right; and

WHEREAS, the free choice to join with others and bargain for better wages and benefits is essential to economic opportunity and good living standards; and

WHEREAS, unions benefit communities by strengthening living standards, stabilizing tax bases, promoting equal treatment and enhancing civic participation; and

WHEREAS, states in which more people are union members are states with higher wages, better benefits and better schools; and

WHEREAS, union workers receive better wages and benefits, with union workers earning 29 percent more than workers without a union, 35 percent more likely to have access to health insurance, and are four times more likely to have access to a guaranteed defined-benefit pension; and

WHEREAS, unions help raise workers' pay and narrow the income gap for minorities and women, by increasing median weekly earnings by 31 percent for union women workers, 31 percent for African-American workers, 50 percent for Latino workers, 9 percent for Asian American workers; and

WHEREAS, workers across the nation are routinely denied the freedom to form unions and bargain for a better life, with 25 percent of private-sector employers illegally firing at least one worker for union activity during organizing campaigns; and

WHEREAS, 77 percent of the public believes it is important to have strong laws protecting the freedom for workers to make their own decision about having a union, and 58 percent of workers would.join a union if they had the chance; and

WHEREAS, employers often refuse to bargain fairly with workers after forming a union by dragging out first contract bargaining for up to two years in 45 percent of successful campaigns; and

WHEREAS, each year millions of dollars are spent to frustrate workers' efforts to form unions, and most violations of workers' freedom to choose a union occur behind closed doors, with 78 percent of employers forcing employees to attend mandatory anti-union meetings; and

WHEREAS, when the right of workers to form a union is violated, wages fall, race and gender pay gaps widen, workplace discrimination increases and job safety standards disappear; and

WHEREAS, a worker's fundamental right to choose a union free from coercion and intimidation is a public issue that requires public policy solutions, including legislative remedies; and

WHEREAS, the Employee Free Choice Act has been introduced in the U.S. Congress in order to restore workers' freedom to join a union; and

WHEREAS, The Employee Free Choice Act will safeguard workers' ability to make their own decisions with these abuses, provide for first contract mediation and arbitration, and establish meaningful penalties when employers violate workers' rights; now, therefore

BE IT RESOLVED by the delegates to the Twenty-Second Biennial Convention of the Hawai'i State AFL-CIO that this body supports the Employee Free Choice Act; and

BE IT RESOLVED that certified copies of the Resolution be transmitted to Hawaii's Congressional Delegation.

Submitted by: Hawaii State AFL-CIO Executive Board

Legislative Resolution No. 2
RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF HEALTH CARE REFORM

WHEREAS, the standard of comprehensive, affordable health care coverage tied to work that unions built over five decades is being eroded by rapidly rising health care costs; and

WHEREAS, children and pre-Medicare retirees are at high risk of losing employer-provided health benefits; and

WHEREAS, health expenditures per person in the United States are twice that of the average other industrialized nation; and

WHEREAS, a major factor in high US health expenses are the exorbitant administrative fees associated with private insurance, which average six times higher than administrative costs in Medicare; and

WHEREAS, excessively high health care costs are putting private sector employers that provide good health benefits at a disadvantage to competitors both internationally and domestically; and

WHEREAS, excessive costs are also threatening the health benefits of public sector workers; and

WHEREAS, the ranks of uninsured Americans jumped 22 % from 2000 to 2006 and now number 47 million people, including 8.7 million children; and

WHEREAS, authoritative studies show that Americans receive the right care only half of the time when we take ill; and

WHEREAS, people of color have lower coverage rates, higher mortality rates in many disease categories, and poorer quality of care overall; and

WHEREAS, women are less likely to be eligible for or able to afford their part of employer-sponsored health care; and

WHEREAS, the Executive Council of the national AFL-CIO voted to launch a renewed effort to win comprehensive health care reform for all Americans at its August, 2007 meeting; and

WHEREAS, the national AFL-CIO has called on all its affiliated bodies to support this effort by.joining in a nationwide health care reform campaign to build support for enactment of Federal legislation consistent with the principles for reform adopted by the Executive Council in March, 2007; now, therefore

BE IT RESOLVED by the delegates to the Twenty-Second Biennial Convention of the Hawai'i State AFL-CIO that this body supports endorses the health care reform principles of the national AFL-CIO; and

BE IT RESOLVED that we commit ourselves and our unions to join with the national AFL-CIO in its campaign to win universal health care for all Americans.

Submitted by: Hawaii State AFL-CIO Executive Board

Legislative Resolution No. 3
RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF EMPLOYMENT NON-DISCRIMINATION ACT (ENDA)

WHEREAS, in 33 states, it is perfectly legal to fire someone because of their sexual orientation, with no recourse under federal or state laws; and

WHEREAS, in 42 states, it is perfectly legal to fire someone because of their gender identity or expression, with no recourse under federal or state laws; and

WHEREAS, many workers in the United States do not have the benefits of a union contract which can provide remedy in situations of discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity expression; and

WHEREAS, as unions, we believe employment discrimination of any kind is immoral and denies workers the dignity, respect, and equality they deserve on the job; now, therefore

BE IT RESOLVED by the delegates to the Twenty-Second Biennial Convention of the Hawai'i State AFL-CIO that this body supports the Employment Non-Discrimination Act; and

BE IT RESOLVED that certified copies of the Resolution be transmitted to Hawaii's Congressional Delegation urging their support of ENDA.

Submitted by: Randy Perreira, HGEA Local 152

Legislative Resolution No. 4
RESOLUTION IN OPPOSITION TO DO-NOT-MAIL LEGISLATION

WHEREAS, in 15 states, including Hawai'i, legislation has been introduced that would create state-run Do-Not-Mail registries that would prevent direct marketing companies from sending direct mail to those who sign up, just as Do-Not-Call registries prevent telemarketing companies from calling consumers; and

WHEREAS, a Do-Not-Mail registry would have an extremely negative effect on letter carriers, mailers and postal patrons alike; and

WHEREAS, direct mail now accounts for more than 50 percent of mailed delivered by the U.S. Postal Service (USPS); and

WHEREAS, if USPS were unable to deliver direct mail to its customers, it would slash its postal revenues and have adverse effects on service and potentially reduce jobs; and

WHEREAS, unlike telemarketing phone calls, direct mail does not present the kind of intrusion into our personal lives; now, therefore

BE IT RESOLVED by the delegates to the Twenty-Second Biennial Convention of the Hawai'i State AFL-CIO that this body opposes legislation that would establish state-run Do-Not-Mail registries; and

BE IT RESOLVED that certified copies of the Resolution be transmitted to the Senate President and the Speaker of the House of the Hawai'i State Legislature.

Submitted by: National Association of Letter Carriers, Branch #860

Legislative Resolution No. 5
RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF VOTE BY MAIL

WHEREAS, an engaged citizenry is the backbone of a strong democracy and voting is an integral and essential component to promote and ensure this; and

WHEREAS, the 2004 presidential election showed that a verifiable paper trail allowing for a recount, and an independent auditing system to establish the legitimacy of the vote count are necessary to ensure all results; and

WHEREAS, voting by mail has the advantage of providing a clear and verifiable paper trail, and random ballot auditing can be incorporated into the regular vote tallying procedure; and

WHEREAS, voting by mail is cost-effective, easier to conduct, increases voter participation, and gives voters more time to make educated choices; and

WHEREAS, in 1995, Oregon became the first state to conduct its elections solely by mail and in this special election, 66 percent of voters cast ballots compared to only 21 percent in a special election in Texas using traditional methods; and,

WHEREAS, our democratic society is dependent upon participating citizens in the democratic process of voting; now, therefore

BE IT RESOLVED by the delegates to the Twenty-Second Biennial Convention of the Hawai'i State AFL-CIO that this body supports legislation that would establish a system to vote by mail similar to Oregon's which has proven to be effective and safe; and

BE IT RESOLVED that certified copies of the Resolution be transmitted to the Senate President and the Speaker of the House of the Hawai'i State Legislature.

Submitted by: National Association of Letter Carriers, Branch #860

Legislative Resolution No. 6
RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF CIVIL UNIONS IN HAWAI'I

WHEREAS, the labor movement has a long history of fighting for equal rights for working people, including support for equal rights for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) workers; and

WHEREAS, the national AFL-CIO has now formally recognized Pride at Work as one of its constituency groups that is charged with reaching out to gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) workers across the country; and

WHEREAS, it is the express purpose of Pride at Work to mobilize mutual support between the organized Labor Movement and the GLBT Community around organizing for social and economic justice; and

WHEREAS, opponents of working people's interests use GLBT issues, particularly those related to relationship recognition, as a wedge issue to divide the labor movement; and WHEREAS, same-sex couples are devoted to each other, love each other, raise children and support their families; and

WHEREAS, the government's refusal to legally recognize their relationships deprives thousands of families of the most important attributes of their labor: the ability to take care of and provide for their family members; and

WHEREAS, while civil marriage is the only true equality under the law, if the government is offering civil unions as a way to provide protection, support, and respect for GLBT families, unions should support those efforts; now, therefore

BE IT RESOLVED by the delegates to the Twenty-Second Biennial Convention of the Hawai'i State AFL-CIO that this body supports legislation creating civil unions in Hawai'i in order to help fulfill the need for same sex couples to have the same benefits, rights and entitlements as all others in our society; and

BE IT RESOLVED that the Hawai'i State AFL-CIO urge its affiliates and non-affiliates to endorse such legislation in order to extend to their GLBT members and their families, the same rights, benefits and entitlements that are provided to its heterosexual members under the State's marriage laws.

Submitted by: UHPA Executive Committee