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Business Manager's Message

IMPORTANT MESSAGE

Dear Brothers and Sisters:

As your Business Manager & Financial Secretary of Local 1260, I am driven everyday by one goal, to represent each and every member of our Local Union to the best of my ability and to do so in the best interests of the individual and the best interests of Local 1260. It is the driving force behind everything I do as the leader of your local union.

To carry out this mission, I expect nothing but the best from myself, my staff, our office administrators, and from the members of Local 1260. I expect my staff to conduct themselves with the utmost professionalism and hold them to the highest standards in terms of member representation, contract administration, and company relations. I will not allow anything less and will not hesitate to make any changes if I determine that it is in the best interests of our local union and our members. It is as simple as that. If there is a change to be made or a productive course of action to be taken that will benefit our members, I will not hesitate to make that change, and I have and continue to take that action. It does not matter if it’s a staff change or a policy change, if our members will benefit, I will set that course.

Recently, it has become necessary for me to make such a change. I determined that some of our members were not being properly represented in the manner that they deserved, and as your Business Manager, I was compelled to take action by changing the make-up of my staff. In the days that followed that decision, another staff member resigned for personal reasons, leaving a pair of vacancies on staff. In filling these vacancies, I believe, your local union staff is now better equipped to serve the needs of our members, and the staff has been enhanced to be a more productive and efficient group of administrators.

Nonetheless, over the past few days, it has come to my attention that ridiculous accusations have been levied against me with regard to this matter. And while I whole-heartedly disagree with the charges made against me and I know they are frivolous and without merit, I must still defend myself, my name, and the Local Union against these claims. Rest assured, I will do all that’s within my power to represent this office in a professional manner and protect the good name of the IBEW and its Local Union.

Also, please be assured that while I am addressing these claims, our members will continue to be fully, responsibly and professionally represented. From the outset of my term in office, I have established an aggressive set of initiatives and directives for my staff to follow, all aimed at moving our local union forward. While addressing the claims made against me, neither I nor my staff will be side tracked from the task at hand, servicing our members. All of you deserve the very best in representation from your leadership staff and from day one when we began this journey, I truly believe that I have met that representational responsibility, carried myself in a professional manner, and will continue throughout the rest of my tenure as your Business Manager.

If we are to continue to grow as a local union and help strengthen the labor movement in Hawaii and Guam, it is vitally important that we not let ourselves to be slowed by our detractors. I believe in a better day for all of you, our members, and your families. I continue to pledge to you that I will work hard every day until that better day becomes a reality.

In the days ahead, I ask for your continued support. It is shaping up to be a very busy summer with numerous contract negotiations scheduled. In Guam, the contract at DZSP-21 will be up for renewal. In the State of Hawaii, EnVision, Hawaii News Now, Chevron Refinery, and with our strategic plan to improve the contracts at HECO/MECO/HELCO have already been set in motion. As many of you know, the utility companies and Local 1260 will be engaged in early contract talks this summer. My staff and I, along with our various negotiating and sub-committees, will be working diligently to ensure that we greatly improve on the current contracts for our utility members.

The Local Union will continue to engage in strategic growth by organizing and strengthening our Local Union with more members. Reinventing the labor movement and changing the direction of our Local Union is not an easy task, but as your Business Manager – Financial Secretary, I am and will continue to be up for the challenge.

I have no doubt in my mind that our Local Union is in far better shape today, than it was when I took office. But there is much more work to be done. My new staff additions have re-energized our efforts to improve conditions for our local union, and I look forward to working with them and all of you to reach for the brighter day that lies ahead.

My door has always been open to all members of Local 1260. If you have any questions feel free to contact me anytime at (808) 941-9445.

In Solidarity,

Brian F. Ahakuelo | Business Manager-Financial Secretary | IBEW Local 1260

LOCAL 1260 SCORES A HUGE ORGANIZING VICTORY AT THE PUNA GEOTHERMAL VENTURE!!!

IBEW Local 1260 Business Manager/Financial Secretary Brian Ahakuelo is pleased to announce an Organizing victory for the IBEW and Local 1260. By a majority vote, workers at the Puna Geothermal Venture in Puna, Hawaii voted today in favor of joining the IBEW.

"This is an important victory for our Local Union and the IBEW as a whole," said Ahakuelo, "geothermal energy is an emerging and critical component in the move towards green energy."

"In terms of membership development," Ahakuelo added, "this victory opens the door for Local 1260 to gain a foothold within the geothermal energy industry in Hawaii."

The result not only culminates a long organizing effort by Business Manager Ahakuelo and Local Union Representative Michael Brittain, it also continues and strengthens Ahakuelo’s Strategic Organizing Plan to organize and “Bridge the Pacific”.

BREAKING NEWS: New General Counsel Appointed to Local 1260 Leadership Team

Business Manager/Financial Secretary Brian Ahakuelo has announced the appointment of Amy Ejercito to the Local 1260 leadership team. Ms. Ejercito will fill the position of Senior Assistant Business Manager and will also serve as the Local Union’s General Counsel.

Ejercito brings a wealth of labor and corporate knowledge to the members of Local 1260. She leaves the Hilton Hawaiian Village where she was the Assistant Director of Human Resources. Prior to that, Ms. Ejercito spent twenty-one years with Hawaiian Electric Company and retired in 2009 as HECO's Vice President of Corporate Excellence.

Amy is a 1984 graduate of the University of Hawaii William S. Richardson School of Law. She was initially a tax litigation attorney with Cades, Schutte, Fleming & Wright, then joined the HECO Legal Department in 1988. After nine years in Legal, Amy became the Director of Strategic Initiatives (1997), and was promoted to the Manager of Customer Service in 2000. In 2005, Amy was appointed as Vice President, Corporate Excellence.

After retiring from HECO, Ejercito later joined the Hilton Hawaiian Village where her primary focus was collective bargaining agreement administration and interpretation, resolution of grievances, and managing & resolving personnel and labor issues for the hotel.

"I am excited to join and work for a team of people who provide critical and essential service to Hawaii & Guam,” said Ejercito. “My goal is to help each workplace become an even better place which will in turn lead to greater success for us all. I believe that my extensive legal, business, employment and labor background will be an asset to the team and I am ready to hit the ground running."

“Amy has an incredible amount of experience in dealing with labor issues in Hawaii and in particular, the issues faced by our members in the various utility companies,” said Ahakuelo. “That experience, coupled with her expertise as an attorney will be a tremendous asset for all of our 3,300 members in Hawaii and Guam.”

“It was imperative that I have an attorney on my staff with a rich background in labor & corporate laws,” Ahakuelo added. “I believe that having Amy on board will pay huge dividends for our membership, both in terms of representation of our members and in financial savings to our Local Union versus having an outside attorney on retainer.”

In addition to her duties as the Local Union's General Counsel, Ejercito will also represent Local 1260 members at Units 1 & 4 on Kauai (Pacific Missile Range at Barking Sands), Unit 2 at the Lualualei Naval Magazine (Naval Radio Transmitter Facility), Unit 13 in Wahiawa (Naval Computer and Telecommunications Area Master Station Pacific - SATCOMM), Unit 15 (Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam) and Unit 18 in Kaneohe (Marine Corps Base Hawaii).