Labor Groups Back Akaka Bill

Leaders of Hawaii labor organizations representing more than 100,000 members in the state marked Labor Day by urging passage of the Akaka bill.

The endorsement comes a day before a scheduled vote in the U.S. Senate on the Native Hawaiian Government Reorganization Act of 2005.

“The Akaka bill gives Native Hawaiians the political recognition they need and deserve to keep many worthwhile programs alive,” said Harold Dias, president of the Hawaii State AFL-CIO, which represents 68 labor unions throughout the state.

“The ILWU believes that all people deserve a better quality of life and we are committed to working for justice in our communities,” said Guy Fujimura, secretary-treasurer of ILWU Local 142, representing 22,000 union members. “The overthrow of the Hawaiian kingdom was wrong, and the Akaka bill continues the process of reconciliation outlined in the Apology bill passed by Congress over ten years ago.”

The labor leaders attending today’s press conference included Randy Perreira of the Hawaii Government Employees Association (HGEA), which has 42,000 members, and Roger Takabayashi of the Hawaii State Teachers Association.

Each noted the blizzard of lawsuits filed in an attempt to shut down programs that help Native Hawaiians. Some have resulted in adverse rulings against those programs, including Kamehameha Schools and programs run by the Office of Hawaiian Affairs.

“It is important to our membership that institutions, agencies and programs intended to help create a thriving environment for the indigenous people of the island be allowed a protective shield in the form of the Akaka bill,” Ron Taketa, financial-secretary of the Hawaii Carpenter’s Union. “Its passage will help to ensure the ongoing effort to improve our communities for the betterment of the whole.”

The union officials pointed to statistics showing the federal government provides $70 million a year in programs that benefit Native Hawaiians. Those programs, along with the homestead program, OHA and Kamehameha Schools, are at risk as a result of the litigation.

They said besides saving programs, it’s also the right course for Hawaii.

“We have many Native Hawaiians in our rank-and-file, and I’m also proud to say that our non-native members are Hawaiian at heart,” Dias said.

The bill’s sponsor, Sen. Daniel Akaka, said he was gratified by the endorsements. “Many of your representatives both in Hawaii and in Washington D.C. have made a vital difference in helping to share the importance of this bill for all of the people of Hawaii,” Senator Akaka said. “It is unfortunate that the opponents of this bill have sought to rewrite Hawaii’s history and mischaracterize the bill in order to advocate their position on the bill. Through your efforts we have demonstrated the genuine respect that the people of Hawaii have for the culture, traditions, customs and language of Hawaii’s indigenous peoples with those who are not from Hawaii and communicated the importance of this bill for all of us to move forward as a state.”