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188 ing on H.R. 7189, the proposed Hawaii and Western Islands Surface Commerce Protection Act, one of the most important bills involving Hawaii's interests since Hawaii became a State. You will recall that I testified at some length before the subcommittee in June of 1973 when opening hearings were held. I shall not take the subcommittee's time to reiterate what I said then, although nothing has diminished the urgency and need for the bill I expressed then. However, I do want to emphasize very briefly the importance of H.R. 7189 to the people of Hawaii. Since World War II Hawaii-west coast trade has been disrupted for a total of four years by shipping disputes of one type or another. The impact of these disruptions and distortions caused by anticipation of disruptions whether they actually occurred or not have caused economic, psychological and social hard- ship for the people of Hawaii. During the 1971-72 major west coast shipping strike which lasted 134 days Hawaii was truly hard hit. An independent analysis set the strictly economic cost at about $154 million. Another estimat«d $93 million in price rises were avoided only because the initial strike period began during the wage-price freeze imposed by President Nixon. Unemployment increased substantially during the strike, from 5.4 percent to 7.2 percent. The loss of jobs directly attributed to the strike totaled 12.500, a substantial number in a state where only about 300,000 are employed. H.R. 7189 would eliminate human and economic costs like these. It would eliminate excessive warehousing costs at rates 250 percent of those on the mainland. It would ease the anxiety in the minds of almost a million <strong>American</strong>s residing in Hawaii and the western Pacific islands. Is H.R. 7189 antilabor? If it was, neither my colleague Mrs. Mink, jior I, nor Mr. Won Pat would have introduced it, for we are all gen- erally favorably predisposed toward the labor movement. Will H.R. 7189 infringe on the free, collective bargaining process, as both management and labor claim it will? The experience of the Sast would indicate the answer to this most important question to be a efinite "No." H.R. 7189 merely provides for the free flow of commerce between the west coast and Hawaii and the western Pacific islands during any shipping strike or lockout on the west coast for a period not to exceed 160 days. To permit this, only 3 to 3.5 percent of the dock workers and 7 percent of the shipboard workers would be involved. During the west coast dock strikes of 1971-72 all military cargo bound for Hawaii, the Pacific islands and Vietnam were allowed to go through. This required 7 percent of longshore manpower and 14 percent of shipboard manpower to work during the strike, or double the manpower which would be required under H.R. 7189. In fact, as much as 40 percent of the manpower were engaged at one time or other at some ports in the handling of military cargo. But the strikes continued effectively and the collective bargaining process worked out its intended course. H.R. 7189 would involve only half the manpower then required and should not interfere with collective bargaining. I realize that organized labor has significant, good faith reservations about this bill and has banded it "antilabor." Management, too, opposes
180 the measure and considers it to be "prolabor." The people of Hawaii, as innocent third parties, are caught in the middle and must suffer the consequences. If relief to the people of Hawaii and the Pacific Islands would mean injury to labor or management in the collective bargaining process, we would not be here today to ask for vour favorable ac- tion on H.R. 7189. We realize that H.R. 7189 may need to be amended to meet with your approval and we are prepared to meet with you during your busmcss session or at any time to discuss any amendments which the subcommittee may deem desirable or necessary. Mr. Chairman and members of the subcommittee, H.R. 7189 is intended to save untold hardships for nearly a million <strong>American</strong>s in Hawaii and the Pacific islands, without in any perceptible way inter- fering with labor or management in the collective bargaining process. It deserves your speedy consideration and approval. Mr. Chairman, unless you have questions you would like to direct at me at this point. I would like to yield to my colleague for a brief statement, before introducing witnesses who flew 5,000 miles from Hawaii to testify' before this distinguished subcommittee. Mr. KuYKENT)ALL. Mr. Chairman, I have just a technical question I would like to ask either of them. Mr. DiNOELL. The Chair recognizes Mr. Kuykendall. Mr. KUYKENDALL. Approximately how many shipping companies are involved on the west coast in this whole problem and would there be such a heavy concentration in two or three companies that would almost dominate it ? Mr. MATSUNAOA. I believe there are three major shipping companies involved. Mr. KtTTKENDALL. What was the largest percentage of tonnage any one company would handle? Let us talk just about Hawaii. Matson was the largest one. What percentage would they do ? Mr. MATSTTXAOA. About 70 percent. Mr. DiNOELL. The Chair recognizes now our good friend and colleague, the Honorable Patsy Mink, a very distinguished and able Representative in Congress from Hawaii. STATEMENT OF HON. PATSY MINK, A REPEESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF HAWAII Mrs. MINK. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman and Mr. Kuy- kendall. I appreciate very, very much the courtesies that you have extended my colleague, Mr. Matsunaga. and myself in calling these hearings to conclude the testimony on the bill H.R. 7189. As you recall, we had hearings last year in June as a preliminary to the passage of this legislation. The testimony which I presented last June still stands. It is, I understand, to be included in the printed hearings of the legislation, so I will not repeat what I said in June to emphasize the urgency of this matter. What I would like to discuss this moT-ning very briefly is the back- groimd of this legislation in order to give you the approach and per- spective, which I think would j'ield in your undei-standing of this legislation almost an immediate consent and approval to its enactment. 97-6« O - 74 - 13
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HAWAU AND WESTERN ISLANDS SURFACE C
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I €$
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HAWAII AND WESTERN ISLANDS SURFACE
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t 9 1 gon, or California (hereinaft
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5 .1 "((•) Tlie piovisious of tli
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Mr. J.'RMAx. I will risk Mr. IMatsu
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matter of urgent importance to the
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11 H.R. 7189, as well as S. 1566, p
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13 In fact, some 60 per cent of all
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15 Therefore. I believe the propose
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17 The Hawaii State Senate has endo
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19 I wanted the delegation to be aw
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21 But seriously, I hope that this
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23 fellow Americans in the Pacific.
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25 Unless we do something now to pr
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27 days, more than 23,000 workers w
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29 Mayor FAST. NO; it wouldn't. I h
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31 There is no industry or individu
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33 To illustrate the very meanin^^
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COtlODITT GROCERIES HISCBXANSOl'S F
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TOTAL OafKIDITT CORN FKESH AND FflO
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TABLE 3 FREIGKT •raAFFIC, (Contin
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41 TABLE 5 - FREIGHT TRAFFIC INTERS
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48 TABLE 6 - FREIGHT TRAFFIC, INTER
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45 As the group felt that a week's
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COPES SEMT TO: lfr« Gan7 Ichino Pi
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Bffiaak H. IVtraleum Products km Su
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51 Mr* Fred Erskine, >rfio is the h
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8ay that the food vrould last for a
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HEHO TO: Administrator, HCDA 56 HAW
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67 PtijnnM5
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50 HAWAII COUNTY CIVIL DEFENSE AGEN
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lOt }h]ror Shunichi Klours 08 Sapta
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05 Packarod Foods: (Ccctlnuod) .Tlc
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1) Ciinnod Foods Ibat Products Vege
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HQIO TO: Mayor Shunichl Klnura 69 O
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71 1) Cannod Foods (Cootlnuod) Babg
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79 (S>^ v\ntg nf iJ^nin ^xotlnmniim
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MEMO TOs Adninistrator, HCl'A SI HA
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83 OUNTY CIVIL DEFENSE AGENCY 34-A
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8& b. Ibnufacturers absorbing addit
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17. Januaiy U, 1971 BIQ:la 87 a. Fo
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facktred Foods Oils Sugar Cereals F
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91 operations in terms of employmen
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I u «5 • M H 01 M «1 ^- < as 'C
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96 It nks noticed th«t scTcral of
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97 1 • f^ C 1 1 ^' rH U^ & 1 u c
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99 other agricultural industries ha
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& U3 I- i 101 1 • f-l o 1 1 1 1 1
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lOS Ve will coutlnuo to keep 70U in
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to rl s3 O 4J ,0 I. S 10 i • 105
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107 OrriCE OF TIIF. MAYOR — oaKtj
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109 TARi,n 1. .NTrfiia; CK riK"!':
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Ill TAIJI-E 3. KUNXLVC TOTALS NUMit
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Industry 113 TABLE 5. nnn-OYnE? \.i
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115 Even though the shipping strike
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117 He would appreciate your help i
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119 Caaarally, It la th* parpoa* of
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ttl Viet ^ttidrM 2W Vie* frtudeni t
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las MAUMA KEA HILO EGG at POULTRY P
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ISB ICona Gountxj fahm ouieau Maffl
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187 HAWAIIAN ANTHURIUM [ ]' ] MARKE
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Hooorablc lUjror Shunlchi Kltiira 2
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181 BIG ISLAND PORK PRODUCERS ASSOC
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133 HILO COAST PROCESSING COMPANY p
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135 HILO SHOPPING CENTER •nie Hon
Page 147 and 148: 137 HAWAII ISLAND CHAMBER QF COMMER
Page 149 and 150: May 30, 1973 Honorable Shunlchl Klm
Page 151 and 152: 141 The Honorable Shunlchl Kimura M
Page 153 and 154: nmjf 30, 1973 Bonor*bl« 5. Kimurk,
Page 155 and 156: 145 70
Page 157 and 158: STAMJEVAK • Pmt Pi»atttM setter
Page 159 and 160: 14Q mm CLim OF BILO yuh Annivertary
Page 161 and 162: Honorable Shunichl Kinara Kayor, Co
Page 163 and 164: 153 CONGRESS OF THE HAWAIIAN PEOPLE
Page 165 and 166: 4S3iml»m Eaitmm Dutrici C»mmiU99
Page 167 and 168: w KoNA COUNCIL HOME BUILDERS p. O.
Page 169 and 170: 159 Kanoelenua Inuustrial Area Asso
Page 171 and 172: uu DIVACO COOPERATIVE 30 KUKILA STR
Page 173 and 174: C. BREWER AND COMPANY, LIMITED The
Page 175 and 176: 165 We are pleased to note that the
Page 177 and 178: 167 go again' attitude and a result
Page 179 and 180: 169 legislation that will keep our
Page 181 and 182: 171 strikes. One major distributor
Page 183 and 184: 17S analysis would Indicate that vi
Page 185 and 186: 175 THE 1S72 WEST COAST UABrTIME ST
Page 187 and 188: 177 «.3 percent In Norember and 6.
Page 189 and 190: 179 There are different issues invo
Page 191 and 192: 181 It would free this isolated isl
Page 193 and 194: 183 Date Days Strlka commenced dura
Page 195: 185 I speak, I am sure, on behalf o
Page 200 and 201: MO There is no question tliat Hawai
Page 202 and 203: 192 [The attachment referred to fol
Page 204 and 205: 194 "Unions should help each other,
Page 206 and 207: 196 nations where government contro
Page 208 and 209: 198 service to my State effective l
Page 210 and 211: aoo lose important industrial custo
Page 212 and 213: H.R. 7189 may be criticized, as was
Page 214 and 215: 204 borders, out of reach of Hawaii
Page 216 and 217: 206 cease servicing the Island. I s
Page 218 and 219: 206 Consumers had to pay higher pri
Page 220 and 221: 210 To illustrate the extent of thi
Page 222 and 223: 212 ping interruptions—with the c
Page 224 and 225: 214 only gap remaining is the assur
Page 226 and 227: 216 Into a hoarder of toilet paper
Page 228 and 229: 218 Mr. DiNOELL. The Chair wishes t
Page 230 and 231: 220 tories at greatly added cost. A
Page 232 and 233: 222 every protection that the U.S.
Page 234 and 235: 224 the prestrike period of frantic
Page 236 and 237: 226 at tremendous cost, at 100 or 2
Page 238 and 239: 228 The Chair has observed many hea
Page 240 and 241: 230 The meeting was historic in tha
Page 242 and 243: 232 The Governor wishes to express
Page 244 and 245: 234 We have been told by various of
Page 246 and 247: 236 The following review was develo
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238 On the mainland, unemployment w
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240 although airlines continue to f
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242 nfTBODTTCnON In the early sprin
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244 become short under almost any s
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L Food (including some non-food gro
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248 and warehouse space would be us
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250 National Labor Relations Board.
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252 The National Indnstrlal TraflBc
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364 ISTEBNATIONAL LONGSHOREMEN'S AN
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256 modlHes as well as other specia
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258 alTorded union employees during
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BD 17 0
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•. -i ST. AUGUSTINE .Vpi'V V 4 O^
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