By Wendy Osher

A hui of unions representing a variety of trades including laborers, electricians and masons is publicly supporting a new face in the Maui Mayor’s race.  The brotherhood of the Maui Construction Union Trades announced their endorsement today of Randy Piltz for Mayor during a press conference held at the Maui Carpenters Union Hall in Wailuku. 

Click image to play VIDEO from the press conference.

A joint press release from Union officials stated, “…we are tired of hearing career-politicians making the same-old campaign promises.  Today, instead of another career-politician, we are looking for someone who has a business background, and who will speak to us plainly – and perhaps with less polish – but with honesty and integrity.”

According to Union representatives, more than 50% of their members are out of work, and have been especially hard hit by the recession.  The unions are, “looking for someone to trust to create jobs and make Maui County a better place for all of us to live, work and raise our families, we feel that Randy Piltz is “The Choice” for Maui County Mayor,” the press release stated.

The combined groups represent an estimated 25,000 working people in Hawaii.  The umbrella endorsement includes the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America, Local 745, Bricklayers & Allied Craftsmen Local #1 and Operative Plasterers’ and Cement Masons’ Local 630, Plumbers & Fitters UA Local Union 675, Laborers’ International Union of North America Local 368, Sheetmetal Workers Union Local 293, District Council 50, Painters Local 1791, Glaziers Local 1889, Floorlayers Local 1926, Tapers Local 1944, Electricians IBEW Local Union 1186 and The Hawaii Operating Engineers Local Union No. 3.

Piltz, a former Land Use Commissioner, is among a list of 11 candidates vying for the county’s top job.  Others include incumbent Mayor Charmaine Tavares who already received three key endorsements, the most recent of which was from the 2,800 member State of Hawaii Organization of Police Officers (SHOPO) on Friday, July 23, 2010. She also received the endorsement of the 13,000 member United Public Workers Union in April and the ILWU endorsement on March 3, 2010.

Others vying for the county’s top job are former Mayor Alan Arakawa, Council Member Sol Kahoohalahala, former county Planning Director Chris Hart, Ori Kopelman, Peter Milbourn, Harold Miller, Sally Chow Hammond, Jonathon Olson, and Marc Hodges.

The eleven names will be narrowed to two in seven short weeks when the candidates face off in the Primary Election on September 18, 2010.  The two top vote-getters advance to the General Election on November 2, 2010.

Pacific Radio Group will provide up to the minute election results following the closure of polls on both days with live wall to wall coverage on our KNUI 900 AM radio station along with a live televised simulcast on University of Hawaii Maui College, Channel 55. 

Click image to view VIDEO. Peter Iriarte from the Masons Union Local 630 extends his hand in support of Maui mayoral candidate Randy Piltz.