Veteran Journalist Hunter Bishop Joins Big Island Now

We’re happy to announce that Hunter Bishop has joined the Big Island Now team.

Hunter, along with our own News Editor Dave Smith, were part of a seven-year row with the Big Island’s newspaper monopoly, Stephens Media, over illegal termination of the pair.

The Hawaii Newspaper Guild, in which both Dave and Hunter were active, maintained that the firings were part of the Hawaii Tribune-Herald’s long-standing union-busting efforts.

In 2006, the National Labor Relations Board charged the Hawaii Tribune-Herald with 13 violations of federal labor law. Following a week-long hearing in 2007, an NLRB judge sustained 12 of the charges and ordered both reinstated to their positions and made financially whole for back pay and expenses plus interest.

Appeals filed by the Tribune-Herald dragged the proceedings out for years. That resulted in more rulings in favor of Dave and Hunter by the labor board and a federal appeals court, as well as an additional hearing last March and then another favorable ruling.

Last year, the newspaper partially complied with the federal rulings and offered the two their jobs back.

Dave instead came on board with Big Island Now.

This past June, the Tribune-Herald complied with the ruling involving payment of compensation.

Now, Hunter, as of Aug. 1, has also joined the Big Island’s newest news source where his beats will primarily involve Business and Arts & Entertainment.