• Kaua‘i’s harbors Kaua‘i’s harbors Generally, Kaua‘i residents rarely consider what a necessity our harbors are to our day-to-day life on an island that’s over 2000 sea miles from major Mainland ports. The vast majority of what we eat, what
• Kaua‘i’s harbors
Kaua‘i’s harbors
Generally, Kaua‘i residents rarely consider what a necessity our harbors are to our day-to-day life on an island that’s over 2000 sea miles from major Mainland ports. The vast majority of what we eat, what we buy in stores and what we put in our gas tanks comes to the Island aboard a ship or a barge towed by tug boats.
Late Wednesday night a tug boat workers strike was called, throwing a wrench into the daily arrival of fresh produce and other taken-for-granted items that we also call necessities.
The tug boat captains and other workers want what they see as a more equitable system of breaks between work days. Like firefighters, the tug boat workers often work two or three day shifts. They claim that sometimes they are called back to work with only an eight-hour break.
The other side of the story, the one that the barge and shipping companies that hire the tug boat workers face, is the rate which the workers are paid, which is likely quite a bit more than most land-based hourly jobs.
It is apparent that our docks, on Kaua‘i and on other islands, are choke points for our entire economy. This issue of dock strikes and wage negotiations goes back decades, with the days of post-World War II Hawai‘i when dock strikes regularly shut down Hawai‘i the time that set today’s standards.
The tug workers contract lapsed the other night, and why it wasn’t earlier negotiated is a labor-employer issue. The resolution of this strike might be a quick one, or might be one that drags on to the point of noticeably impacting our daily lives and our businesses. Not being able to supply hotels fully will also have an effect on our visitor industry if standards slip or guests feel something is wrong due to lack of supplies at resorts.
As produce company owners have already stated, some items usually sent by sea will soon be sent by air, with fresh fruit and produce likely at the top of the list. Watch for prices in the produce section of grocery stores to rise if this happens. In addition, this points out the need for Kaua‘i to grow more of its own produce; this is the case on O‘ahu, which has a much larger population than Kaua‘i, and Honolulu residents won’t feel the pinch from this strike as much as we will, if the strike is an extended one.
This sea shipping-related strike could put a damper on the economic upswing experienced over the past few years with Kaua‘i enjoying its lowest unemployment rate in years, and a growing, if not booming, economy.
There is no doubt that our sea shipping workers are vital to Hawai‘i.
Hopefully a fast and equitable agreement will be reached that will forestall any long-term negative impacts from this strike.
