Not all unions are bad
Lisa Malakaua wrote on Thursday bashing unions. First off, unions fight for higher wages, better health care, safer working conditions and support in job security. Higher wages support the local economy and standard of living. Unions negotiate for our health care coverage and plans. They also provide legal job security and collective bargaining agreements with employers that define the workplace jobs, rights, and benefits etc.
Monies collected by the union, as agreed upon and negotiated with the employer, go into a trust fund that is managed and distributed to pensioners, health, dental, and vision plans, as well as to scholarships, sporting events and yes, political campaigns and more. You ask where are the unions now in this crisis? I have always been skeptical of unions just like you, but now I see the union I belong to is there. Continuing to provide support to members. They are continuing to negotiate and fund our health care benefits in cooperation with our employer through the end of the year and hopefully continuing to the end of this crisis. If I had to pay this out of pocket it would be around $1,000 a month! Lisa, not all unions are as bad as you envision them and I am thankful my union is there for us members.
Clifford Luczak
Waikoloa
Council needs to focus on priorities, not lawsuit
Suing companies for climate change. Really? What a complete waste of money.
The Hawaii County Council may consider joining a lawsuit with the Honolulu City and County — or pursue their own, against a collection of fossil fuel companies. You clowns on the Council don’t have enough to take care of? Lasting effects of the volcano, the COVID-19 pandemic, the crushing debt from the mishandling of the TMT protests, hundreds of businesses that will never recuperate? Thousands without food security and you think it may be a good idea to sue fossil fuel companies for climate change. Heaven help us.
Michelle “Mike” Kerr
Waikoloa
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