HARA Affiliates
NATIONAL AFFILIATION
HARA received its state charter in January 2006 at its first Biennial Convention from the Alliance for Retired Americans (ARA). The ARA is the successor organization of the National Council of Senior Citizens (NCSC) in 2001. The NCSC had an illustrious history of advocating for senior citizens. President Lyndon Johnson, who signed the Medicare Act in July1965, as an amendment to the Social Security Act, credited the NCSC as the driving force behind the enactment of Medicare.Today, ARA is a nationwide organization with over three (3) million members working together to make their voices heard in the laws, policies, politics and institutions that shape our lives. The ARA mission is to ensure social and economic justice and full civil rights for all citizens so they may enjoy lives of dignity, personal and family fulfillment, and security. The Alliance aims to influence government action on retiree legislative and political issues at the federal, state and local levels. www.retiredamericans.org
Through the umbrella of the ARA, HARA is a 501 (c) (3) organization of the Internal Revenue Code, which is a non profit organization and current rules prohibit HARA or any of its representatives from participating in political action activities including the endorsement of political candidates for elective office and participating in their campaigns. However, individual HARA officers and members may exercise their individual citizenship rights and may participate as individuals in political action activities.
STATE AFFILIATION
HARA is affiliated with the Hawai’i State AFL-CIO, which is a voluntary federation of 70 local affiliate unions and councils in the State whose parent international unions are affiliated at the national level with the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO). Like its parent AFL-CIO, the Hawai'i State AFL-CIO does no bargaining with employers. It is not a union, but a union of unions. For more info go to: www.hawaflcio.org.
The Hawai'i State AFL-CIO serves its constituent unions by speaking for the entire labor movement before the state legislature and other branches of state and county government. Its basic purpose is to use the collective strength of the labor movement in the state to protect and advance the interests of all workers and their families. It provides affiliates with a mechanism to exchange views and make decisions to promote a unified voice and unified action. It provides affiliates with a process to come together in support of political candidates, to fight for legislation and cooperate in other mutually agreed on goals, programs and services. A representative of HARA sits on the Executive Board of the Federation, as a vice president, with full voting and participation rights.
HARA and AFFILIATES.
Like the Hawaii State AFL-CIO, HARA is basically an organization of organizations that are interested in advocating the interests of seniors and retirees so that they may enjoy their golden years, after contributing a life time of work helping to build their state and country. Individuals who share our common interests may join HARA and the ARA. HARA now represents 17,000 retirees, members of eight affiliated state organizations, which pay annual dues based on the number of members as follows: 150 and fewer, $50; 151-2000, $75; 201-500, $100; 501-1,000, $150; and 1,001 or more members, $200. The eight affiliates are listed in the order of date affiliations:
1. Hawaii Government Employees Association/AFSCME (HGEA Retirees); 2001
2. International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU Retirees); 2001
3. United Public Workers Union/AFSCME (UPW Retirees); 2001
4. Kokua Council for Senior Citizens, 2002
5. Machinists Union (Machinist Retirees); 2002
6. Hawaii State Teachers Association/NEA (HSTA R); 2003
7. American Federation of Teachers (AFT Retirees); 2005.
8. Americans for Democratic Action (ADA Hawaii); 2007.
Information on our eight affiliates
1. HGEA Retirees. The HGEA Retirees Unit is composed of over 9,000 statewide county and state government employees. As the largest government retirees organization in the state, we are affiliated with AFSCME (American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees) our “watchdog” at the Federal level, and we stand together to ensure that retiree benefits are always protected. www.hgea.org/Retirees.aspx
2. ILWU Retirees. ILWU represents more than 5,000 retired members of ILWU Local 142 who, as active members, worked in diverse industries like longshore, sugar, pineapple, tourism, and general trades. Some 2,000 of those retirees are organized in 20 pensioner clubs statewide, from Kekaha to Ka'u. Pensioner club members actively participate in the political action program of the local union and support its legislative agenda, which promotes long-term care financing. Phone: 949-4161; www.ilwulocal142.org.
3. UPW Retirees. The UPW Retirees Chapter is composed of 3,000 retirees of state and county governments, and private sector health care and other facilities, mostly blue collar and institutional workers, who were UPW active union members. State officers are elected at the biennial conventions and along with the other elected board members administer the unit, which has chapters in each of the counties. Like the HGEA Retirees, the UPW Retirees Chapter is affiliated with AFSCME, one of the largest unions in America with 1.4 million members. www.afscme.org
4. Kokua Council for Senior Citizens. The Kokua Council advocates and seeks to empower seniors and other concerned citizens to be effective advocates in shaping the future and well-being of our community, with particular attention to those needing help in advocating for themselves. A long time respected advocate of seniors, the Kokua Council meets monthly. www.kokuacouncil.org
6. Hawaii State Teachers Association – Retired (HSTA-R). HSTA-R, established in 1995, is the largest (4,500) retired teachers organization in Hawaii. It is an affiliate of the Hawaii State Teachers Association (HSTA) and the National Education Association (NEA). HSTA-R has as its purposes:
Promoting the social, professional, economic status, and general welfare of the retired members of HSTA;
Furnishing a practical basis for unified action with others who are devoted to the cause of education;
Promoting voluntary participation by its members in civic and educational affairs;
Initiating and supporting legislative action that is beneficial to retired public school teachers, their families, and their communities; and
Supporting HSTA and its programs.
HSTA-R Membership:
Associate Membership. Any person who prior to retirement was employed in the field of education and does not qualify for Retired Membership may be admitted as an Associate Member.
Unified Membership. HSTA-R members are also members of NEA-Retired.
HSTA-R State
Organization:
Delegate Assembly. The annual Delegate Assembly elects state officers and other members of the state Board of Directors and is the highest governing body.
Board of Directors. The Board meets quarterly and serves as the policy making body between Delegate Assemblies.
Executive Committee. Comprised of the state officers, the Executive Committee meets monthly, and directs state programs and activities.
State Committees. Committees help to implement HSTA-R programs and activities.
HSTA-R Districts:
HSTA-R is divided into four geographical districts:
HSTA-R
Hawaii
HSTA-R
Kauai
HSTA-R
Maui
County
HSTA-R
Oahu
Districts have their own officers, a governing council, and conduct their own district activities.
Contact Information:
HSTA-Retired
1200
Ala Kapuna
Street
Honolulu,
HI
96819
(808)
833-2711, extension 258
7. AFT Retirees. AFT Retirees is
the retiree affiliate of the
American Federation of Teachers (AFT, AFL-CIO),
one of the largest unions in America
representing more than 1.4 million members
nationwide including: teachers;
paraprofessionals and school-related personnel;
local, state and federal employees; higher
education faculty and staff; and nurses and
other healthcare professionals; and 170,000
retiree members. The Hawaii Retirees Unit is
seeking to expand its activities in Hawaii
by organizing AFT retirees from other states
who now reside in Hawaii. AFT works with
national and state legislators on matters of
concern to educators, parents and students.
These include economic, health, and political
issues relevant to every groups well
being.
Contact: Jackie Foil, who is also the
Secretary of the Hawaii Alliance for Retired
Americans (HARA) She may be reached at
JackieBF@mac.com, Phone: 261-1395. For
national information on the AFT Retirees go
to: www.aft.org/retirement/ .
8. Americans for Democratic Action (ADA HAWAII).
OTHER HARA AFFILIATIONS
1.
Hawaii Caregiver Coalition. HARA joined
this Coalition in early 2006, which had
been formed a year earlier to bring together
organizations in both the public and private
sectors, government and non government, which
believed in the importance and need for
supporting family caregivers. This Coalition
includes organizations such as: AARP, Alu
Like, Executive Office of Aging, all the County
Offices of Aging, Hospice Hawaii,
HSTA Retirees, HMSA, Kokua Council, PABEA,
Project DANA, UH Center on Aging,
about forty (40) organizations. The Coalition
sponsored its 4th Annual Holo Imua
Kakou
(Moving Forward Together) at the Hawaii State
Capitol in January 2008, held its annual
meeting, and held a legislative reception with
ice cream for the legislators.
For information, contact Wes Lum at: wes.lum@doh.hawaii.gov.
HARA: Senior citizens working together for a better Hawaii