HONOLULU -- UPW leader Gary Rodrigues resigned Friday after he hand picked his successor.

There was a power struggle behind closed doors Friday.

On Thursday, Rodrigues was suspended by his parent union.

Rodrigues used his influence to help establish Dwight Takeno as the director of the UPW.

"Gary is still in power. Gary doesn't want to relinquish that. He wants to transfer that to Dwight Takeno and I believe that's wrong," UPW board president George Yasumoto said.

"What are you doing now?" KITV 4 News reporter Daryl Huff asked.

"I don't know. I sense the board is against me," Yasumoto said.

Other members of the UPW board said they believed they did everything by the union's constitution to place Takeno as chief.

Takeno has been seen with Rodrigues in union contract negotiations.