Local 701 retiree Louis Hema talks about getting his start in the union, moving from Hawai'i to Oregon, and pidgin wisdom for union members.

Legacy at Legacy

Unlike some Local 701 members who enter the union through the apprenticeship program or joining a signatory company, Louis Hema got his start through good, old-fashioned organizing.

In August 1999, Hema was working for Legacy in its moving and storage department when a Local 701 representative stopped by with an intriguing pitch: why don’t you unionize? At the time, Hema and his coworkers were a small unit within the healthcare giant, hauling, repairing, and even building equipment for Legacy.

"I liked the benefits [the union] had," Hema said.

Hema and his coworkers voted shortly later to join Local 701 as a stationary unit. 

"It's been good," Hema said.

His only regret is not fighting harder during contract bargaining for wages that reflected the large scope of work the moving and storage crew did.

"That's my only regret because I was looking out for myself at the time, but then I was also trying to pass something on to the next generation," Hema said. "I was trying to leave them something, but it's up to them now. They gotta go fight, fight now."

After two decades at Legacy, Hema retired at 67 to take care of his wife, Marian, who became ill.

"My 20 years with Legacy was a good time," Hema said. "I enjoyed the job. I probably could have worked till 70, if I wanted to, but I have to take care of her."

‘No Scared, Chance ‘um’

Hema moved from Hawai’i in the 90s, searching for a change.

"I had the idea to move," he said, after visiting former classmates in Oregon. "I liked what I saw here," he said, so he moved his family to Washington County, Oregon, where they still reside. 

In retirement, Hema and his wife dream of returning home to Hawai’i, where they grew up. On the Island of Oahu, Wai’anae sits along the rocky clusters of the coastline.

Hema said he plans to use his retirement time and benefits to focus on getting Marian better, "so we can go home … to Hawai’i, where we can both walk on the beach, get in the water. That's what I'm looking forward to."

His upbringing in Hawai’i informs his work ethic and advice for current and future Local 701 members. There’s a pidgin saying, Hema said, "No Scared, Chance 'um," similar to "Go for it!" or "No shame, take a chance." 

"What you like doing, if that's the career you choose, go all out," Hema explained, "and if you need help, [701 members] are there to try to help you."

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