President Randy Perreira Reelected

      Delegates of the the 23rd Biennial Convention of the Hawai'i State AFL-CIO meeting at the Hilton Hawaiian Vollage Coral Ballroom on Friday, November 6 voted unanimously to re-elect Randolph P. Perreira President.
      Randy renewed his pledged to do his best to make the voice of the State Labor Federation stronger and ever more effective throughout the next two years of his term:

I'll start by thanking all of your for your unanimous support to be re-elected president. I realize that translates to nobody else wants the job, but I appreciate it nevertheless. I only hope that I am able to perform and serve the federation to your satisfaction. I trust that most if not all of you here came into the labor movement for the same reason as I did. We all wanted to do something good with our lives, and make a difference in the life of others. We wanted to make the world a better place. Forgive the clichés, but these are the values that lead all of us to work for the union and our members. Today, as I consider the issues that face us in the next couple of years, I can honestly say that at no time in my 50 years on this earth have I seen those values being challenged as they are now. Actually, we are the very first generation in the last several centuries that risk passing to our children a world that will not be as good as the one we lived in. The forces that have brought us to this point are well known:

• The destructive national policy of our former president and his cronies which led us into not one but two never-ending wars
• The collapse of world financial markets and the US economy, which has nearly crippled retirement savings - all because of the greed of the financial sector and its high-priced and high-flying CEOs,
• The collective failure of local elected officials - in failing to do what they can to ease the effects of our failing economy, and failing to use the resources being provided by our Federal government to get our brothers and sisters in the building trades back to work.
• And sadly, on occasion we have failed ourselves - when we proceed on our own agendas, seeking our own goals, without working together to do what is right for all in our community

All of this has put our set of community values - the values that we grew up with here in Hawaii, the values we have developed as we chose to live here, the values that cherish and espouse as leaders of the Labor Movement - these values are now in serious jeopardy.

Some have taken the easy way out - they have resigned themselves to accept "what is" and seek to make the best of things without a fight. For some that's okay, of course. Others have withdrawn in anger - and just plain dialed out in denial of this challenge.

I pray that all of us here have not given up. We're here to make sure that the values we hold dear are not lost without a fight. We're here because we give a damn.

All of us are here for a reason - the values that brought us to this calling of being a labor leader. I know why I am here. I'm here today. I'm here to follow the legacy that I have inherited. I'm here because of what my grandfather did - my grandfather was a truck driver for the plantation in Hilo. Because he had a truck he used to pick up his neighbors in the camp - otherwise they would have a long walk to the cane fields. But my mother has told me that my grandpa also used to drive the ILWU organizer from camp to camp - to make sure people heard about the union.

I'm here because my father worked for HGEA for over 20 years. He was one of the founders of the Big Island Labor Alliance, formed to foster solidarity and political strength among the Big Island unions.

I am here to fulfill the obligation that my grandfather and father have left for me - to make our community better.

I trust that all of you have similar stories - that you too are here to fulfill an obligation. Even if you don't have that personal story, allow me to remind you of our obligation to our past leaders of this Federation - those who sacrificed to give us the rights and benefits we enjoy today. Today we must fulfill the obligation left to us by Walter Kupau, Blackie Fujikawa, David Trask, Jack Hall and Norman Ahakuelo. We OWE them for what we have - and the way to repay their sacrifice is to stand and fight for the values we hold dear.

Recently I attended a luncheon where Dr. Jim Dator, a professor from UH, spoke. Dr. Dator made what I consider a profound statement that all of should take to heart: he stated that the problem we face in Hawaii is that our future is largely being shaped by someone (Linda Lingle) that will not live that future. Every indication is that the governor will move on after her term ends, leaving us to live the future she is creating for us - a future we don't want, one that does not uphold the values that we hold dear.

Our obligation, brothers and sisters, is to make a stand - a stand to protect our values and ideals. We owe it to ourselves, we owe it to those who came before us, and we owe it to our children and grandchildren. We need to fight for what we hold dear - and give our children a better world than the one we live in. There are things we face that are beyond our control - but surely you agree that we will fail to uphold our legacy if we allow the middle class values that mark our labor movement.

So what do we fight for? I say we fight for worker rights to organize. I say we fight for more affordable housing and accessible health care. I say we fight for jobs in construction - and the appropriate use of Federal ARRA monies. I say we fight for lower and higher education for our kids, and the services that thousands of public employees provide that we all take for granted. I say we fight for our environment and our world, so that our children will enjoy the land that all of us cherish as so precious. And, I say we fight for our dignity, and the value that all of us bring to our work.

Today I must challenge all of you - local unions, councils and individual leaders - to stand together and fight for the legacy we have been given. Your cooperation and commitment is needed to protect and strengthen our middle class workers, our community, and our chosen way of life.

We cannot let the ambivalence of our governor, or the failures of our legislature, to push us into complacency and resignation. This is our chance - to face adversity and right-wing opposition - to strengthen the lot of working people and their families.

We cannot let ourselves fall into the trap of resignation and ambivalence. There is too much at stake - for our families, for our community. The voices of working people must be heard - and we must use those voices to influence elected officials statewide to uphold our local values. For those that hear our message, we can promise our support. For those who, like many in our legislature, turn a deaf ear to workers - they deserve our contempt. And they certainly don't deserve our votes.

As I start this new term. I commit to all of you to take on the fight to protect our labor values. And I ask all of you to commit as well. But, perhaps I best defer to Bob Marley as he said: Rise Up, Stand Up, Stand up for your Rights.

The future is ours to make - let us not fail.