Strength of unions here lies in powerful voting bloc

Across the mainland, labor, especially public worker labor, is under attack by political forces. Labor and union power built much of Hawaii’s past, and it would be foolish to think Hawaii’s house of labor is crumbling.

More than 20 percent, 1 out of every 5 workers, in Hawaii holds a union job.

Labor is big, powerful and usually wins. The right to collectively bargain was already in the Territory of Hawaii Constitution when Hawaii joined the union in 1959, and 11 years later, Hawaii became one of the first states to allow unionized public workers to strike.

So when the 2015 state Legislature and Gov. David Ige went against the direct wishes of two potent public worker unions, blue-collar UPW and white-collar HGEA it was surprising.

The issue was a bill favored by both Ige and House Speaker Joe Souki that would help Maui’s cash-strapped public hospital transfer over to private or nonprofit control. The issue is far from decided, but it shows that labor solidarity has its limits.

“This is one of the first times in the history of the state that there has been a major concession against labor,” said Souki in an interview last week.

Randy Perreira, HGEA executive director, publicly promised union members he would fight any sale that threatened union jobs and the UPW leader stepped up a campaign to personally lobby against the move.

But, Maui legislators had already heard from constituents fearful that the three-island county would be left without medical coverage if Maui Memorial Hospital was forced to close.

“Sometimes labor has to look at itself and take a little step back,” said Souki. “If a community can’t go ahead and get the medical services it needs, something needs to be done.”

Perreira said in an interview that he is not giving up the fight against a hospital takeover.

“What happened is the Maui delegation prevailed on their colleagues to pass the legislation, which is of questionable merit,” Perreira said.

“This is important to Maui, but it is not a barometer to measure union power,” Perreira said.

Indeed, Souki was careful to preface any union criticism with assurances that he is “a union man from a blue-collar family.”

The veteran Maui Democrat, however, explains that labor’s power in Hawaii is not shrinking, it is changing.

“Private unions are different because labor costs can be adjusted; if you have a new contract you can raise prices. Government can’t do that,” Souki said.

The other part of that equation is that various parts of government stand for election every two years, and Perreira, as head of the state’s largest labor union, knows the power he has.

“The power of organized labor depends on our ability to get our members to come out and vote,” Perreira said.

In terms of historical reference, I recall interviewing Perreira’s predecessor, Russell Okata, about union power. Okata answered the question by patting a computer printout of the HGEA’s 43,000 members and retirees. He may not have known how they voted, but the union leader knew the names of each registered voter and if they cast a ballot in the last election.

“At the same time that others are choosing not to vote, we are able to help candidates who will give us the time of day,” Perreira explained.

Through the ballot box, the HGEA and other public unions literally select who will be their bosses, and that is the unending power of labor.

Richard Borreca writes on politics on Sundays, Tuesdays and Fridays. Reach him at rborreca@staradvertiser.com.