David Trask Jr.

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Categories: Hawaii Democrats | Unions in Hawaii | Native Hawaiians

David K. Trask Jr., (b. 1933 - d. 1999), a Hawaii state legislator and later executive director of the Hawaii Government Employees Association. A Democrat, Trask represented Maui in the Hawaii State House of Representatives for six years and the Hawaii State Senate for five years.

Trask, after his legislative years, was executive director of the Hawaii Government Employees Association (HGEA) from 1969 to 1981.

From a October 20, 1999 Honolulu Star-Bulletin article by Harold Morse, the following was reported:

Trask said that it was only when plantation workers unionized did they finally achieve respect and dignity for their work. State and county employees had to wait until 1970 when the collective-bargaining law was passed to enjoy the same rights and benefits, he said.

Long, overdue change came about only when organized labor flexed its collective strength in politics, Trask said.

The 1954 elections changed the political and economic face of Hawaii, as the newly elected Democratic majority in the Legislature got there mainly through efforts of organized labor. Union votes helped him win legislative elections, Trask said.

The labor movement in Hawaii reached its peak in the early 1970s, with achievement of equal opportunity, economic growth and social mobility, Trask said.

Trask sees one critical lesson to learn from labor history -- that positive social change happens only through labor organizing, uniting and speaking with a strong voice.

The late Tommy Trask, who died in 1998 and was head of the ILWU until 1994, was a first cousin of David Trask. They were contemporaries of the first United Public Workers director, Henry Epstein, who died in 1995. [1]

The Trask family is active in Hawai'i politics, David Trask Sr., was a territorial senator. Haunani-Kay Trask and Mililani Trask are David Trask Jr's nieces. Arthur K. Trask was a brother to David Trask Jr.