West Coast Longshore Contract Campaign

Weekly Member Update:  Sept. 11, 2002

Update from the Bargaining Table:   We presented our latest technology package to the PMA this week, and received a counterproposal on Monday.  The ILWU remains willing to give the PMA the free flow of information it has requested in order to move the industry forward.  Unfortunately, the PMA is unwilling to make any concessions regarding protection of ILWU union jobs in exchange for our willingness to implement technology.  The PMA is happy to take, but completely unwilling to give at this point.

Maersk Actions:  The ILWU sent delegations this week to Maersk offices in the Bay Area, Portland, Tacoma, Seattle, Vancouver, B.C. and Alaska to bring attention to the fact that the giant shipping company is a major stumbling block in our ongoing attempts to win a fair contract.  Letters to management were delivered at the various Maersk sites by diverse groups of union workers and community leaders in solidarity with ILWU demanding that Maersk use its influence in the PMA to ensure that all employers bargain in good faith and that it call on the Bush administration not to intervene in the negotiations. . 

SSA Actions:  We are planning a series of major demonstrations along the West Coast for next week to protest against efforts of Stevedoring Services of America (SSA) to sabotage our contract negotiations.  As the largest stevedoring company in the nation, and the power player behind the scenes which recruited Joe Miniace as PMA’s chief, SSA is perhaps the most important reason why negotiations are currently stalled.  We need all members to get involved in our actions, which will send the message that we will not be intimidated by the strongarm tactics of SSA and Miniace to prevent us from securing a fair contract.  We will provide complete information on the actions planned in your area as soon as it is available.

ILWU to Protest Anti-Union Bush Official During LA, SF Visits Next Week:  U.S. Labor Secretary Elaine Chao, the Bush Administration’s notorious union-buster, will visit San Francisco and Los Angeles next week for public appearances.  The ILWU, in concert with the State Labor Federation, will be on hand at the events to protest against Chao’s miserable track record of anti-union positions.  Our demonstration in San Francisco will take place at 12:00 noon on Tuesday, Sept. 17 at the Fairmont Hotel at the corner of California and Mason Street.  In Los Angeles, we will protest outside the Biltmore Hotel at 506 South Grand Ave on Thursday, Sept. 19 at 8:00 a.m.

California Gov. Gray Davis Speaks out on Behalf of ILWU:  This week, Gov. Gray Davis sent a letter to President Bush calling on him to stay out of the negotiations between the ILWU and PMA. “I believe it would be counter productive in this case to use the military to replace private sector employees as a way to break a bona fide labor dispute, Davis wrote. “And frankly, I am also concerned that Federal military intervention may ultimately impede the negotiation process and increase the risk of a bargaining impasse.”

San Francisco Port Commission Passes Resolution Supporting ILWU:  This week, the San Francisco Port Commission passed a strongly-worded resolution supporting the ILWU right to bargain for a fair contract and denouncing any governmental “intervention in the collective bargaining process or the use of federal money or troops to sway the constitutionally based balance of power between the bargaining parties.”  The Commission joins with the Los Angeles Harbor Commission, which passed a similar resolution last week.  Other ports are expected to pass pro-ILWU resolutions in the near future as well.

New York Times Features Column on ILWU:  On Sunday, the New York Times published an interview with port labor scholar David J. Olson.  Key points addressed in the interview include the union’s willingness to negotiate on technology, and the support for ILWU members among other unions.  “I don’t think the union is resisting new technologies,” Olson commented.  Later, Olson noted that the union has been very proactive on technology issues, and he also insinuated that our demand to ensure that new jobs created by technology are union jobs is reasonable.  Later in the interview, Olson predicted that working people from other unions will continue to stand with ILWU members regardless of the course of negotiations.  He also pointed out that longshore workers do a “very dangerous job” in which “injuries and fatalities rank it just behind mining.” 

Web Site Updated Daily:  It is extremely important that ILWU members stay up to date on the important developments in the ongoing campaign to secure a fair contract for our members.  This is why we urge all members to check the web site frequently.  We update the site on a daily basis with the latest details on the status of the bargaining campaign.  Please go to www.ilwu.org on a regular basis for the latest news.  And don’t forget to pick up the latest copy of The Dispatcher for more information on major issues affecting ILWU members.

cwa39521