Center for Labor Education & Research, University of Hawaii - West Oahu: Honolulu Record Digitization Project

Honolulu Record, Volume 10 No. 9, Thursday, September 26, 1957 p. 1

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ILWU Convention 4-Day Schedule , Mow Under Way

The coming negotiations between the ILWU and management of Hawaii's sugar plantations would be the topic of first importance at the union's convention which opened Wednesday, of that, no one had any doubt.

Union leaders locally and President Harry Bridges nationally had made it clear that the sugar workers will make strong "demands for a wage hike above the $1.12 basic wage of the present. But details of the union's wage demands were scheduled to be released later in the week, after they have been given employers.

After the convention opening Wednesday morning, at which delegates were welcomed by a representative of Mayor Neal S. Blaisdell, the afternoon session featured an address by President Tony Rania, Local 143, by President Herbert Gonsalves of the United Public Workers, and by Louis Goldblatt, secretary-treasurer of the International ILWU.

On the first day of the convention, also, the delegates organized into committees on the following subjects: constitution, finances, resolutions, membership service, union defense, election campaign and political, officers' report, ILWU Memorial Assn., and publicity-education-public relations.

On the second day of the convention, Thursday, guest speakers were scheduled to address, the delegates in the morning while committee work would take up the balance of the day.

The third day of the session was to be taken up with committee work and reports, as well, with President Harry Bridges addressing the convention shortly after 2 p.m.

The fourth day would see the nomination and primary election of officers, a summation of the convention toy Regional Director Jack W. Hall. And the night of the fourth day, Saturday, is the date of the banquet at which other guest speakers are scheduled to be heard.

Adjournment of the convention would be at 12 noon, "sine die."

p /> I do not say that at odd hours a patient must be given the regular hot dinner or supper. Few people would expect this.
 
But what is so complicated about opening and heating a can of soup, making some toast, or preparing instant coffee or tea? Why cannot a night nurse do these simple things after the kitchen to closed? Is it just too much trouble?

It is only common humanity to feed the hungry. If our hospitals are too big, too complex, too impersonal to do these small kindnesses for the sick, something is very wrong.