HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0453.009 2000-2002 Hawaii County Council ~:;~zivi>°`f
COIAnCll~rson l09anCy P9siCGhiO, Chairperson , _
Committee on Human Services and 1=conomic L'evelopment j~k ro.Y~-.-_-~--~-~`°`.
January 8, 2002 g~~~~,,,~~- r_-"__a_
Good afternoon. ItAy name is Isaac Fiesta, Jr. I was born and raised here on the Big !eland up on
the Hamalcua Coast. I ~taated working for the Pepeekeo Sugar Company in 1968 as a Field hand and.
other Jobs unti3 Apri! 1991 when I became a Union representative for thy; ILWU Local 142.
'The Hale Anuenue Restorative Care Cerrter workers came to the ILWU in 1999 to be organized.
A election was held but ar+~ lost the election by 8 votes in part because the Company conducted an
anti-union campaign by asking the v~rkers to glue there (the Company) another chance. The °~vorkers
gave the Cornpany the benefit of the doubt; however, the Company didn't do anything positive for its
workers.
Therefore, in the year 2000, the a~~rleers again called 4he ILWU. Another election was held; this
time, the workers voted almost 2 to 1 in favor of the Union.
We have been negotiating with Hale Anuenue Restorative Care Center since i=ebruary 7, 2001
to present. We have reached agreement on many issues; however, the issues that ~ cannot reach
agreement on are:
1. Union Security. In the Union Security language, the right of workers to be members
of tiae union to participate in the affairs of the union to fomnulate proposals for contract
negotiations, vote for these Is or changes to these proposals, atter°~dirlg and
participating in raga€;ar and special union n`seetings, Union elections, attain in
Constitution and Bylaws, sports programs, etc.
2. Uni n ues [?eductions. Cues to ~ taken through payroll deduction so that the
workers don't have to go to the Union ha!€ to pay.
3. A~~ndance Policy. Keep presen4 policy.
4. IVlar?agement nights. Union agrees that all Companies have their right to manage
(Company) operations.
We live in a democratic society where we have the right to self-organize, to bargain collectively
through representatives of our own choosing under the 6Vational Labor Relations Act -United States
~ovemment. This Act permits the Union and the Company to make an agreement called a
Union-Security Agr€~ment that requires employees to make certain payments to the un'son of their
choosing.
The Union Security language is a non-cost iterin:end eve cannot understand why the Company is
not agreeing to this. There is no dollar value to the language but it would benefit the workers at no cost
money-wise to the Company.
T'he Company's own Ismployee Handbook speaks in part of the following:
1. Service and facilities must be designed and operated with superior quality in order
to satisfy the needs of their patients, patient rights and self-respect. To the
community, "They believe that each center should be a good corporate citizen of
the community.°. T
o the avorkers, the right to freely express their ideas and
concerns and to be treated fairly and with respect. The Company believes that
unselfishness and tearn3rmork are vital to the success of the center and the
corporation. They believe in a fair and consistent application of the r lee, .
.
Ir
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policies and the work is noted in the Judeo-Christian ethic and that obedience
to God is the tsest nB~sure by their service to others.
At the negotiation sessions on I?ecereabes 3.2001 and December 11, 2001, the vaoorlcers and
Union agr~c! that by striking, the residents ~suld be the ones that o~ould lose the qua.Eity care, so vae
a+~ithdrevm the strike notice: to the Company. ~Phe Company's response to the strike notice 4,vithdtal ass:
"Thanks for calling the dogs off!"
it is my personal opinion that the Company is not following its c~sn nal~#hay are nofi t3~tir2g
their workers fairly or with respect nor are they being fair or consistent in the application of the rules and
pol'acies. !f they ire, their v~orkers c~suld not have voted to be organized.
!n closing, I'm asking that your Committee to pass Resolution 160x02 in support of the v+sorkers of
Hale e4nuenue Restorative Case Center.
~rnank you! -
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