Two candidates in the race for mayor of Honolulu picked up union endorsements Saturday. Hirono, Hannemann
get unions’ backing in
mayoral campaignLt. Gov. Mazie Hirono's bid earned the backing of the Hawaii Carpenters Union, the largest construction trade union in the state.
Meanwhile, Hawaii Teamsters Local 996, whose membership includes city bus drivers, threw its support to former City Councilman Mufi Hannemann. "He's the candidate of our choice," local President Mel Kahele said.
The Teamsters also endorsed Hannemann in 2000 when he ran unsuccessfully against Mayor Jeremy Harris.
The Hawaii Teamsters represents employees of Oahu Transit Services, operators of TheBus and The HandiVan. It also represents workers with United Parcel Service, the Gas Co., major medical centers and other businesses.
The carpenters union announced its endorsement of Hirono after the union's statewide executive board meeting. Hirono received the backing of its statewide and Oahu political action committees, the union said.
"Mazie has been tested over many years in public office, and there's no doubt among our membership that she has shown she cares about Hawaii's working families," said Paul Chang, PAC chairman.
"She not only understands the significance of public-sector construction to maintain a skilled work force, but she is committed to jump-starting our local economy and creating new job opportunities," he said.
A special mayoral election would be triggered when Mayor Jeremy Harris steps down to enter the governor's race.
The other announced candidates in the nonpartisan mayoral election are City Council- man Duke Bainum, former Mayor Frank Fasi and former City Prosecutor Keith Kaneshiro.
UHPA picks incumbents
The UH faculty union endorsed U.S. Reps. Patsy Mink and Neil Abercrombie for re-election Saturday after a vote by its board of directors.University of Hawaii Professional Assembly President Alexander Malahoff said the union is "grateful for the tremendously positive record of achievement on higher-education issues" amassed by the two Democrats during their congressional careers. Both Mink and Abercrombie received more than 80 percent of votes cast by the statewide union members.
Malahoff said the two have a 100 percent voting record on issues tracked by UHPA's national affiliate, the National Education Association.
"As important, or even more importantly for us at the university, we live or die on federal research funding and federal support of higher-education programs," said Malahoff, UH oceanographer who directs the Hawaii Undersea Research Laboratory.
Federal moneys amounted to about 20 percent of UH funding in 2000 and now total nearly 29 percent, he said.
"This is our life's blood, and while we researchers like to think that money comes because of our individual effort, the fact is that it comes because Patsy and Neil and our two senators fight for us tooth and nail," he said.
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