12/23/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 12/23/2024 18:35
Sisters, Brothers, and Fellow Workers,
In 2018, I received a call from ILWU Vice President Wesley Furtado that set me on a path to run for International office. He asked me to come to Hawaii to meet with him and members of the Hawaii Longshore Division. Over breakfast, we talked about the future of our union.
"You have work to do," he told me.
It was both a challenge and a call to action. He was right. I couldn't stay on the sidelines, content with my past elected offices. I understood that my real work was only just beginning.
I rose to the challenge and ran for International office. With the membership's support, I served two terms as International Vice President. Those six years were tough. In 2020, we lost Uncle Wes. We faced a pandemic, endured 13 months of grueling West Coast longshore negotiations, and confronted a decade-long lawsuit from ICTSI that threatened our very existence.
Before we could move forward, we had to clear the obstacles in our path. I am grateful to President Emeritus Willie Adams for removing many of those stumbling blocks, allowing the new officers to focus on building a stronger ILWU, free from the shadow of bankruptcy and the accompanying drain on our resources.
Now is not the time to rest. We have a unique three-year window, free from major distractions, to move this union forward, re-engage our membership, and recommit ourselves to our core values. From the Titled Officers to our newest members, we all have work to do.
We will work closely with our active members and pensioners-including our three President Emeriti-to modernize our union's policies and practices. This union is rich in untapped talent and enthusiasm, and we will draw on the experience and knowledge from all our regions and divisions.
The effort will begin with the International Officers and the International Executive Board (IEB). At our October meeting, the Officers presented the IEB with a comprehensive, strategic three-year plan to improve every department and program in the ILWU. The IEB unanimously adopted this plan, and we have already begun the work of implementation. Part of the plan involves holding our IEB meetings in different areas over the next three years, providing more opportunities to interact with members and allowing rank-and-file members to observe and participate in the International's work firsthand.
Existing Committees:
Delivering for Our Union
The Titled Officers and the Executive Board are on the clock. We are committed to modernizing and updating our union's practices so that the ILWU is well-positioned to face future challenges. Central to these efforts is our renewed emphasis on empowering members through comprehensive education and strengthening our collective power through targeted organizing initiatives. By our next convention, this administration will demonstrate tangible progress across all ILWU departments and programs, ensuring that the union's foundations in education and organizing are stronger than ever.
This will be a collective effort. We will engage the membership, our pensioners, and leaders throughout the union. The ILWU is all of us, and we share the responsibility to honor those who came before and to set the stage for those who will follow. Together, we must safeguard this union and carry forward the proud legacy and traditions we've inherited.
We have work to do-and we will get it done.
Bobby Olvera, Jr.
International President