Pride At Work Supports Times Boycott!

      Important Upcoming Event:
            Saturday, March 29 Times Biycott Rally

TEAMSTERS CALL FOR BOYCOTT OF TIMES SUPERMARKETS (www.hawaiiteamsters.com)

First Posted On: Jan 15, 2008
Honolulu -Unionized workers at Times Supermarkets rejected the company's latest offer over the weekend and is asking the public to boycott Times Supermarkets in protest of the company's unfair labor practices, the Hawaii Teamsters and Allied Workers Union Local 996 announced today.

"Times talks about 'Ohana, but the union and its members are now questioning whether Times even knows what 'Ohana means," said Ron Kozuma, president of the 6,000-member Hawaii Teamsters. "Many of these people have been loyal Times employees for 20 or 30 years. They have dedicated their working lives to this company and built a loyal customer base in their communities. They deserve much more respect than what they're getting."

Pride At Work Hawai‘i affiliates with Hawai‘i State AFL-CIO
State Fed endorses important legislation for equality for LGBT workers

Honolulu: On Friday, October 26, 2007, Pride At Work Hawai'i (PAWHI) was represented for the first time as an affiliate of the Hawai'i State AFL-CIO at its 22nd Biennial Convention at the Hilton Hawaiian Village. PAWHI, which was formed recently by a group of LGBT workers and supporters, had affiliated with the State Fed only a few weeks earlier.

"This represents an important step in making sure the voices of LGBT workers are heard in their unions and the labor movement in general," said PAWHI President and Musicians’ Association of Hawai‘i member Steve Dinion.

The Convention showed its support for equality for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) workers by not only welcoming PAWHI to the State Fed, but also by passing two important resolutions, one endorsing the Employment Non-discrimination Act (Legislative Resolution #3), the other supporting the creation of civil unions in Hawai‘i (Legislative Resolution #6). At a time when civil rights and workers rights are both under attack, such legislation is necessary to help build equality and provide protection for LGBT workers and their families.

Dinion noted that LGBT workers need unions now more than ever. "A union contract can provide protections against harassment and discrimination, domestic partner health benefits, and emergency leave." Citing a recent study suggesting that gay men earn 23% less than their married heterosexual male coworkers, he also noted that a union contract is the surest way to make sure that all workers are treated equally.

The resolution in support of Civil Unions in Hawai‘i, proposed by the Executive Committee of the University of Hawai’i Professional Assembly (UHPA, an affiliate of NEA), noted that the refusal to legally recognize same sex 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. “Without civil unions legislation, same sex couples in long term, committed relationships do not have the same legal protections and entitlements as married couples,” noted UHPA President Joe Chernisky. "The UHPA executive committee supports civil unions legislation as a social justice issue in the same vein as all the other social justice issues unions have championed in the past and continue to champion."

The resolution in support of the federal Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), proposed by HGEA Deputy Executive Director and Hawai’i State AFL-CIO President Randy Perreira, noted that unions believe employment discrimination of any kind is immoral and denies workers the dignity, respect, and equality they deserve on the job. “All those who believe in workplace equality should support this important measure,” said HGEA member and Pride At Work Hawai‘i Vice President Wayne Akana. "We appreciate Brother Randy and the entire State Fed for their stance supporting ENDA."

Pride At Work Hawai’i also submitted a resolution showing support for both US troops and the Iraqi labor movement by calling for an immediate end to the occupation of Iraq. The resolution noted that, in 2005, the Iraqi trade union movement had 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.” Also in 2005, the AFL-CIO in its national convention called for the rapid withdrawal of US troops from Iraq. However, 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. The resolution passed unanimously.