Hannemann: Labor King?
Mufi Hannemann‘s campaign website says that he has attracted more labor endorsements than any other gubernatorial candidate. , found in Hannemann’s “Economic Action Plan,” is pasted below.
If this list were accurate – which it isn’t – Hannemann’s labor tally would be set at 11. But Civil Beat believes in getting its facts straight, so we’ll update his total to include the recent important endorsement from the Hawaii Carpenters, Local 745. Adding the state’s largest construction union, with about 7,500 members, Hannemann’s actual total of labor endorsements is 12.
Now, using this figure, is the former mayor’s campaign website correct?
No. The claim is wrong.
After reviewing his primary opponent Neil Abercrombie‘s , Civil Beat found at least 14 labor organizations are publicly supporting the former congressman.
We found the following labor endorsements for Abercrombie: the American Federation of Teachers, American Postal Workers Union, Industrial Technical & Professional Employees Union, International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (Local 1186, Local 1260, Local 1357), International Longshoremen’s Association, Laborer’s International Union (Local 368), National Air Traffic Controllers Association, Seafarers’ International Union, Transportation Communications International Union, UNITE HERE! Local 5, United Association of Plumbers & Pipefitters, United Food & Commercial Workers Union and finally, the University of Hawaii Professional Assembly.
Hannemann’s erroneous claim may be a case of an un-updated website, but the fact is that the information put forward by the campaign is simply incorrect.
However, it should be noted that the unions that have endorsed Hannemann do have more members.
Still undeclared is the state’s largest union by far, the Hawaii Government Employees Association, with more than 44,000 members, more than double the size of the next largest union. And the fourth-largest union, the Hawaii State Teachers Association, with 13,000 members, is also undeclared.
Hannemann does have the support of the second- and third-largest unions, the International Longshore and Warehouse Union, Local 142, with 18,000 members, and the United Public Workers with 14,000 members. He also has No. 7 on his side, the Teamsters, Local 996, with 6,000 members. Adding these together, his top three unions boast about 38,000 members, still not equal to the grand prize, the government employees union.
Abercrombie’s top three union endorsements are No. 5, UNITE HERE! Local 5, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers and the University of Hawaii Professional Assembly, which is the tenth largest. Together, those unions have nearly 22,000 members.
As for James “Duke” Aiona‘s level of union support, a spokesman for the campaign declined to release any endorsement information for the front-runner in the Republican primary. What does that tell you?
