1 - American Memory

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H.R. 7189, as well as S. 1566, pro\ades for a 160-day exemption for
Hawaii and the other U.S. Pacific islands—Guam, American Samoa,
and the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands—from any west coast
longshore or maritime strike or lockout.
Hawaii is located in the heart of the North Pacific Ocean, nearly
2,500 miles distant from the U.S. mainland.
Our island economy is primarily export-import in nature. Nearly
80 percent of all physical commodities must be imported. We depend
on the U.S. mainland for much of our food, clothing, building ma-
terials, and other necessities of modern life. Our economy depends on
exports of sugar, pineapple, and textiles which move from Hawaii by
sea.
Some 99 percent of our imports and exports must move almost
entirely by ship. "Wlien shipping is disrupted, the people and the econ-
omy of Hawaii are hit, and hit hard.
Shipping disruptions have come with devastating frequency since
the close of World AVar IT. More than 4 years of transportation serv-
ices have been lost in the 1946-72 period. The periods of dislocation
due to anticipating, suffering through, and recovering from a strike
probably bring the total period of disruption to more than 6 years—
almost a quarter of the time elapsed since the end of the war.
Shipping strikes mean lost jobs, business failures, higher prices,
depleted savings, reduced tax revenues, loss of outside investment
capital, and lost markets for Hawaii's exports. They also mean lost
business and markets for mainland producers and suppliers whose
goods are needed and purchased by the people of Hawaii, Mr. Chair-
man and members of the committee, this is an intolerable situation.
Yet, these stoppages almost invariably do not originate in Hawaii,
have no participants in Hawaii, and are remote from any direct in-
fluence which might be brought to bear bj' our local unions, manage-
ment, and the force of public opinion in Hawaii.
The requested IfiO-day exemption for Hawaii and the U.S. Pacific
islands relates only to maritime or longshore strikes on the west
coast. The pending bill. H.R. 7189, does not deal with strikes in
Hawaii itself. Like any other State, Hawaii must continue to cope
with work stoppages within its own borders.
The exemption requested would involve only some 31^ percent of
the longshore-hours worked on the west coast, and only about 7.3
percent of the total man-days worked by shipboard labor with west
coast contracts. Therefore. I believe that it would have little impact
upon collective bargaining, a process to which I have long been deeply
committed.
Yet through its operation, this bill would provide Hawaii and the
U.S. Pacific islands with the security of transportation services en-
joyed by other States which have alternative means of surface trans-
portation. It is a viable remedy for the economic hardship Hawaii
sustains solely by reason of its geographical location.
It is a fair bill. It is a workable bill. There is no present statutory
remedy for Hawaii in cases of west coast maritime or longshore
strikes—^no exemption, no partial operation, no guaranteed settlement
procedure.
I urge this subcommittee to give Hawaii relief from an intolerable
situation. We appeal to you with a sense of urgency. June 30—only