Delegation Diary
MUA members record a week of solidarity on the pickets with the ILWU
IT'S OVER. After a 6-month dispute with the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA), the International Longshore & Warehouse Union (ILWU) has won a six-year agreement which ILWU President, James Spinosa, described as "a victory for longshore workers and their families, and a win-win for business, labour and the US economy.
"We worked in good faith with PMA and succeeded in bringing new technology to our ports while achieving vital pension and economic security, strong health care benefits and safety protections for our workers and their families," Spinosa said.
Paddy Crumlin, national secretary of the Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) and vice-chair of the ITF Dockworkers' Section wrote to congratulate the ILWU workers.
"It was with great satisfaction that the MUA was able to return some of the solidarity by the ILWU during our own Patrick dispute in 1998," he wrote.
"All affiliates of the ITF, and in particular dockworker unions around the world, made an important contribution.
"Your victory in the resolution of the dispute demonstrates that when workers stand firm around the world, almost anything can be achieved," he added.
At the height of the dispute, in September and October, the employers had locked out 10,000 port workers, bringing west coast imports and exports to a virtual standstill.
The union was in crisis. But they were not alone.
The ILWU has expressed their thanks to the International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF) and its affiliate unions, who took action in support of the workers.
Chief among them miners and maritime workers who flew to the US to stand alongside their ILWU comrades on the picket.
Proud to be MUA
Gary Keane, deputy secretary Southern NSW Branch reports:
{We arrived in LA at 6am and were met by Ray Familathe, ITF assistant coordinator, who brought us up to date, while we had some breakfast. Within a few hours we had attended some of the picket lines (there were 40 gates picketed in the L.A.- Long Beach area) met the officials at Locals 63 & 13, met up with our billets, showered and changed then assisted with some food parcelling and sign writing at the Local 13 Community Hall before attended some more pickets. All before lunch!
Then Ray, his wife Cathy and some rank and file members took us to a nice restaurant on the piers nearby where we had just had time to finish lunch when one of the floating pickets picked us up. These are members who use their private boats to patrol the harbour making sure none of the ships try to slip their own lines. Let me tell you if you are doing picket line duty, cruising Long Beach Harbour on a 32ft launch is the way to do it!.
One night in particular sticks in my memory. After a typical day of picketing and meetings we ended up having dinner and drinks at a local ILWU hang out, The San Pedro Brewery, where they actually had a special menu for members during the lockout.
After a couple of hours Joe Carr (MUA Brisbane) suggested we hit a couple of picket lines before turning in so we loaded the van up with five Aussies and two Kiwis and lobbed to the nearest picket line for some marching and talking with the locals.
About 15 minutes later this big black Cadillac, a dead set Mafia staff car with the dark tinted windows and all, pulled slowly into the driveway and just parks there with no sign of any movement at all. We didn't know what to expect. When the door opened out gets this young African American woman and two older guys carrying a monster box of doughnuts.
It turns out they were members of the Screen Actors Guild and under their contract it's illegal to picket in any dispute anywhere so they had to wait until late at night to come down and show some support.
We stood around eating doughnuts and talking about some of their disputes and what the ILWU had done for us with the Columbus Canada.
There were four Aussie wharfies, one Aussie miner, one New Zealand seafarer, one NZ wharfie, stacks of American longshoremen and three (card carrying) actors all discussing different blues.
After a while we were going to visit some of the other picket lines and these guys decided to join us. So there we were at 1.30am driving a seven seater van with a Koala mascot stuck in the windscreen, MUA flags and banners and a NZ flag hanging out of every window being escorted by a big black Mafia limo between picket lines in the docks area of San Pedro.
To me that night highlighted the point of our delegation -- that workers, no matter what industry or state or even country they are from or how diverse their industries, come under the same pressures and attacks from purely profit driven employers and these employers are becoming increasingly international in this era of globalisation.
As a trade union movement we need to mobilise globally to answer the challenges this presents. We need to support and push the tremendous work done by Paddy Crumlin, John Maitland, James Spinosa and other progressive working class leaders who initiated the recent International Mining and Maritime Conference that laid the foundation for just this type of international response.
I have been in this union for 28 years through the WWF and now the MUA and have never been as proud to be a member as I was when standing in the Local 13 dispatch hall with a thousand ILWU members in the middle of their own lockout chanting 'MUA here to stay!'
The respect this union is held in made it a very humbling experience. To be part of a delegation with rank and file members of the calibre of Joe Carr, Simon Euers, Dave Schlieb, Shannon Gleeson and Mich-elle Myers made it all the more enjoyable. These comrades with only three days notice put aside their personal and family commitments, arranged to take leave from their jobs and travel 12,000 miles to represent this union and show support and solidarity with the ILWU rank and file.
In Shannon and Mich-elle's case, there was no holiday leave because they were both supplementaries. So both took two weeks unpaid leave without hesitation.
On behalf of Barry Robson and myself I thank them sincerely for their participation and camaraderie.
On behalf of the delegation we would like to extend our thanks and appreciation to all officials and members of Local 13, Local 63 and Local 94 for the incredible hospitality and generosity shown to us wherever we went.
These people were actually 'on the grass' yet the spreads put out at the barbeques and dinners put on for our benefit were unbelievable. Special thanks need to be made to Joe DonatoVice President Local 13, Larry Manzo Executive Board member Local 13, Donald Montoya Local 13, Ray Familathe Local 13 and ITF Assistant Coordinator, Dave Hogan ILA Charleston Local President and his wife Michelle Local 63, Lynn Kirk Local 63, Roxanne Lawrence Local 63, Larry and Randy Brown Local 94, Shannon Donato, Director Harry Bridges Community Labour Centre and all our billets particularly Danny Rodriguez who was never sure how many of us he was going to end up with.
The assistance and friendship these guys showed will not be forgotten by any of us and Roxanne's generosity in providing us with her van was especially appreciated, even when we were driving down the wrong side of the road in it, but we wonít go into that. We look forward to the day we can repay you're kindness.|
Day by Day
A day by day account of the solidarity mission by Sydney Port Botany delegate Simon Euers follows:
Friday October 4: The delegation based itself out of the ITF Coordinator office at local 63 where the ILWU helped coordinate our time in Los Angeles, Tacoma, Portland, San Francisco and Seattle. .
October 5: We met at base office to formulate reports and future plans. The Itf has given full facilities to enable the construction and sending of all necessary reports and emails.
The membership in LA alone is around 6000 which allows 24 hour pickets, with 4x6 hour shifts with each member allocated a shift approximately every three days.
The delegation dined at Longbeach 206 where the Ro-ro vessel Willhelmsen Tarago (a common vessel worked in Sydney and LA) was berthed. The view from this dock was littered with some of the 100 vessels backed up by this dispute.
October 6: The show of international support for the ILWU significantly increased with the arrival of the CFMEU, the NZSU and the NZWWU boosting the delegation to 16 delegates.
The CFMEU and the NZ delegates were taken for a first hand look at the harbour boarding the floating picket boats to get a feel for the vastness of this port, while Australian delegates were taken by Larry Manzo (local 13 executive board and registration committee member) to view some historic ILWU memorabilia and the huge fleet of vessels building outside the port. Over 130 ships are now sitting idle off the coast of LA making a continuous line on the horizon off the beaches of California.
October 7: Talks in San Francisco between the ILWU and the PMA have broken down with the ILWU offering to go back to work for seven days to help with the congestion continuing to grow off the port (now estimated at 160 ships). The PMA is insisting on 90-days.
A media conference is held at Local 13 pickup/dispatch centre, which the ILWU quickly filled with over a thousand members. The international delegation was invited to speak which produced the greatest show of international solidarity with tremendous scenes of more than 1000 Americans chanting MUA, MUA, MUA.
Officials then called on members to march down Harry Bridges boulevard and demand the PMA open the gates and let them go back to work. The march grew to around 2000 as the protest at the unfair lock out intensified. When we reached the TraPac gates LA 134-136 officials confronted management while the membership voiced their demands to be allowed to go to work. This was denied.
October 8: The Harry Bridges Institute is an excellent example of an effective organised labour center and the volunteers under the direction of Shannon Donato should be very proud. (It would be wise to seriously look at setting up something similar in Australia).
The delegation moved to Long Beach 206 picket for an Australian media conference and photos. While there, an announcement by President Bush stating that his administration thought it was necessary to implement the Taft/Hartley Act was heard. There was confusion on the picket lines around the port with another announcement that agreement between the ILWU and the PMA for a 30-day return to work had been reached.
Through rank and file organisation and involvement one of our delegates was flown by light aircraft over the port of LA to witness and video the vessels stranded off the port.
October 9: At the morning meeting new accommodation plans and domestic travel plans again were discussed with the ILWU recommending that only a small representative delegation be sent to San Francisco, Tacoma and Seattle (three officials).
Work orders were requested by the PMA for evening shift so the delegation met at local 13 dispatch centre to witness the pick up system. It's run on points with the lowest points getting first choice at jobs in their qualifications. To the uninitiated it looks more like organised chaos.
As the pickup continued the Reverend Jessie Jackson made an entrance into the hall showing tremendous support for the ILWU.
Members of the international delegation were invited behind closed doors for a personal meeting and photos with the great man. Jessie then addressed the media and the ILWU membership stating that the workers of America are being misled and attacked by the Bush Government.
The president of local 13 then addressed the crowd before handing over to Barry Robson of the MUA, Shannon Donato of the HBI and other guest speakers. This was a definite highlight of the delegation finished off with a group photo with Jessie Jackson.
October 10: Hotel accommodation was organised for those who needed it and the transportation of luggage carried out.
Local 13 hosted an historic executive meeting with locals 13(longshore), 63 (marine clerks) and 94 (foreman). And an invitation went out to our entire delegation. This gave each individual delegate a chance to address the meeting, which was greatly appreciated by all the rank and file representatives of our international delegation. ILWU International President James Spinosa was in attendance making the situation an even greater experience.
The meeting carried a unanimous resolution for the three locals to assist the MUA in any way possible extending to the payment of hotel accommodation and cancelled domestic airline fees, a true gesture of global solidarity.
October 11: The NZ and CFMEU delegates were taken on a tour of the port working which included access inside terminals and even up in cranes (locally known as hammerheads).
A function organised and held at the Harry Bridges Institute for any ILWU members wishing to meet the international delegation was a great success. Speeches and presentations of gratitude and thanks where made to HBI, local 13, local 63 and local 94.
October 12-14: With the ILWU now back at work trying to deal with the huge task of relieving the congestion that has built up during the PMA lock out, the delegation has been given some free time.
Safety concerns about the congestion have been raised by the ILWU, yet the PMA continues to employ its tactics to use sections of the Taft/Hartley Act in suggesting that the ILWU is working slowly as a means of industrial disputation. (The PMA is threatening to take the ILWU to court for an alleged breach of the act.)
A CFMEU delegation visited an open cut mine out in the desert between LA and Las Vegas taking with them a message of international solidarity.
Barry Robson visited the ports of Tacoma and Seattle addressing local meetings at each port.
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