Some Hawaii workers rally in support of movement to protect rights of labor unions

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - Hawaii’s union workers held a rally Thursday morning in Downtown Honolulu. They’re building support for a national movement to protect the rights of labor unions to organize.

The Hawaii State AFL-CIO, its local union affiliates, and Oahu County Democrats gathered at the Prince Jonah Kuhio Federal Building on Ala Moana Boulevard.

Part of Thursday’s effort is to thank U.S. Sen. Mazie Hirono and Brian Schatz as well as U.S. Reps. Kai Kahele and Ed Case for co-sponsoring the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act.

The measure is a sweeping labor rights bill that those groups say “will reform our woefully inadequate labor laws and change the power dynamics in America in order to give working people a real say in our future.”

Hawaii state legislators also passed their own resolutions encouraging enactment of the PRO Act. Here is more of what the organizers had to say:

“Members and leaders from the Hawaii State AFL-CIO and its affiliate local unions will discuss why the PRO Act is essential to making America’s economy work for working people. In addition to thanking Senators Schatz and Hirono for their critical support, union members and leaders will stress why it is so urgent for Hawaii’s Congressional delegation to encourage their colleagues in the Senate who have not co-sponsored the bill to do so.”

This story will be updated.

Copyright 2021 Hawaii News Now. All rights reserved.