Labor board cannot mandate union posters

WASHINGTON » A federal judge ruled Friday that the National Labor Relations Board cannot require millions of employers to put up posters informing workers of their right to form a union.

U.S. District Judge David Norton in South Carolina said the labor board exceeded congressional authority when it approved the poster requirement last year. The decision conflicts with a ruling last month by another federal judge in Washington, D.C., who found the posters were a reasonable means to make workers aware of collective bargaining rights.

Both lawsuits were brought by business groups that claim the posters are too one-sided in favor of unions.

Kohala nonprofit buys coastal acreage

The nonprofit group Maika‘i Kamakani ‘O Kohala Inc. has purchased more than 27.5 acres of undeveloped shoreline at Kauhola Point in Halaula, North Kohala, for $1.3 million.

The property encompasses the majority of the peninsula and gives Kohala families a place to gather and participate in outdoor activities.

The purchase was made possible by a public-private partnership of the state Legacy Land Conservation Program under the state Department of Land and Natural Resources, the Trust for Public Land, Maika‘i Kamakani ‘O Kohala Inc., Malama Kai Foundation’s Ocean Warriors Program, the Dorrance Family Foundation, the Freeman Family Fund of the Hawaii Community Foundation, the HEI Charitable Foundation, the Hawaii Electric Light Co., The Trust for Public Land’s Advisory Council Member Edmund Olson, the Zirinsky family (a Trust for Public Land donor) and many community members and stakeholders.

Hawaii banks kick off statewide food drive

Nearly 280 bank branches statewide will be collecting food and cash donations Monday through May 31 as part of the Hawaii Bankers Association’s fifth annual drive to benefit the Hawaii Foodbank.

Bank customers are urged to bring in a can of food when they stop by their branch. Last year, these efforts contributed more than 6 tons of food and nearly $31,000 to the charity.

“The need continues to grow faster than our ability to address the problem of hunger in our community,” Hawaii Foodbank President Richard Grimm said. “It’s sad but true that even though we just completed a very successful Foodbank drive, the shelves in our warehouse will be bare within a matter of weeks.”

The canned goods in greatest demand include meats or tuna, meals, soups, vegetables and fruit. The Hawaii Foodbank network includes 270 member agencies on Oahu as well as food banks on Hawaii island, Maui and Kauai.

Eric Fujimoto

ON THE MOVE

» Eric Fujimoto, a private wealth adviser for Ameriprise Financial’s Honolulu office, has been named to Barron’s “Top 1,000 Advisors.” Barron’s Magazine made its rankings based on data provided by more than 3,000 of the most productive advisers in the nation. Fujimoto was chosen based on assets under management, client satisfaction, revenue produced for the firm, and his regulatory and compliance record.

» James Rafferty has been hired as a specialist in occupational medicine at Kaiser Permanente’s Wailuku Clinic. He was previously a physician with Kaiser in Denver.

James Rafferty

Hale Kipa has received these grants to enhance services for at-risk youth:

» For Haloa Transitional House: the Hart Foundation, $12,000; Swayne Family, $10,000; Beta Beta Gamma Foundation, $2,000; NFL Charities, $4,000.

» Bretzlaff Foundation, $10,500 for the sexual exploitation prevention program.

» Fike Corp. Charitable Foundation, $3,000; Charles Pankow Foundation, $1,000 for capacity building and ongoing operations.