Isle Teamsters
awaiting details

A Local 996 representative
is named to help work on
the final agreement

From staff and wire reports

Striking Teamsters in Hawaii welcomed word of a tentative deal with UPS but the news was tempered by the knowledge that layoffs were imminent.

"While we don't yet know the details of the tentative settlement, we are very glad for our members sake that the strike appears to be over," said Mel Kahele, president of Local 996 of the Hawaii Teamsters.

Kahele said he received word yesterday afternoon that the Teamsters won most of its demands from United Parcel Service and that the 15-day strike, which put about 170 Hawaii workers on picket lines, appeared to be over.

However, a UPS manager in Hawaii said last night that the company anticipates laying off some workers because it expects it won't regain all the business it had before the Teamsters strike,

"There will be layoffs as soon as we can validate the volume lost," said Lance Hirokawa, UPS human resources manager. He did not know how many employees would be laid off, saying the number depends on how the walkout affected UPS' long-term business.

Kahele said Teamsters are not surprised by talk of layoffs. Even before the strike, the possibility was raised, he said. "But I would expect that any layoffs would be short-lived. UPS is a reputable company that services its customers very well," Kahele said.

He also said that Mark Komomua, a local Teamsters negotiator, was named to the 45-member team that meets tomorrow in Washington to work out the final details of an agreement. Komomua flew to Washington last night.

Before leaving, Komomua said the negotiating team will be reviewing agreements on all contracts, which include the national master, a Western supplement, and three regional contracts.

He said the central region contracts had been agreed upon but that there were still some issues to discuss regarding the western and eastern regional contracts and also the Hawaii contract.

Komomua said that after the negotiating team reviews the package and approves it, the package would be sent to union members by mail for final ratification. The vote could take up to 4 weeks.

Eric Gill, the Teamsters spokesman, said that according to information received by the Hawaii office, UPS "bailed on the major issues. I don't think we would have had a settlement if they hadn't."

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Star-Bulletin reporter Kulani Mahikoa
and the Associated Press contributed to this report.