This summer, Local 142 members finds themselves at two ends of the bargaining table in Hawai‘i’s healthcare sector—celebrating a contract win at Kaiser Permanente and stepping into a high stakes contract negotiation for members at the Straub Medical Center. 

Kaiser Techs Win Big 
On July 3rd, ILWU members across the islands who work at Kaiser Permanente ratified a new four-year agreement that will deliver a 20% compounding wage increase, marking one of the strongest contracts for a medical unit in Local 142’s history. The contract covers just over 100 diagnostic technicians across eight Kaiser sites—six on Oʻahu, one on Maui, and two on Hawaiʻi Island— under one statewide agreement. 

The deal didn’t come easy. Months of negotiations were paired with a fiery member-led campaign. Techs from multiple departments participated in coordinated button-ups, proudly wearing union pins to show unity. Regular membership meetings and negotiation updates kept members engaged and informed across all three islands. 

In addition to the wage increases, the new contract includes immediate market rate adjustments for select departments, ratification bonus for others stronger protections ensuring rest periods or overtime pay for consecutive shifts 

This win reflects a broader trend in ILWU’s recent bargaining efforts: contracts that break from past norms and begin to close the gap between wages and Hawaiʻi’s rising cost of living. 
 

Straub Negotiations Begin 
As Kaiser techs begin to enjoy the gains of their new contract, ILWU members at Straub Medical Center have just entered negotiations of their own. Representing medical assistants, certified nursing assistants (CNAs), and other support clinicians, these workers are essential to the hospital’s daily operations, providing frontline care and critical support to both nurses and doctors. 

The Straub bargaining committee is pushing for wage increases, recognition of years of service, and a more affordable medical package. While the team is hopeful, the backdrop suggests a tough road ahead. 

Straub is part of Hawai‘i Pacific Health (HPH), a nonprofit healthcare network that also includes Kapiolani, Pali Momi, and Wilcox Medical Centers. In 2023, HPH reported $1.66 billion in revenue and nearly $928 million in net assets, operating on par with a large corporation despite its tax-exempt status. 

Just last year, Kapiolani nurses clashed with HPH management in a bitter contract fight that included multiple strikes and a management-imposed lockout. Nurses ultimately won key gains, but only after months of tension and organizing.

 Straub members are entering negotiations with that history fresh in their minds. As with Kaiser, success will likely depend on how strongly members engage, organize, and stand together. 

From one end of the health system to the other, ILWU Local 142’s healthcare workers are showing what it means to fight for dignity—not just for patients, but for the people who care for them.