Support the Locked Out Local 30 Members and Families
ITF calls for global support
for Costa Rican dock workers
The International Transport Workers’ Federation has redoubled its protests to the Costa Rican government over the apparent, attempted deliberate destruction of a legitimate port workers’ union and brought this to the attention of its trade union members.
The ITF has contacted its 741 affiliated unions with the following appeal:
“It is with the greatest concern that we note the information received from our affiliate SINTRAJAP about the troubles within Costa Rica. SINTRAJAP has been involved in an ongoing struggle with the government who is trying to privatise the ports of Puerto Limon and Puerto Moin. This would have a detrimental effect on the workers and SINTRAJAP has tirelessly opposed the government’s plans. In its latest move, it seems that the Costa Rican government has removed the democratically elected leadership of the union and replaced them with people who are in favour of the privatisation. We must ensure that our brothers and sisters in Costa Rica know that our dockers worldwide are behind them in their struggle and are ready to support them."
Rio Tinto's attack on working families in Boron
At 7:00 am on January 31, 2010, the Rio Tinto corporation locked out nearly 600 ILWU members at the company’s Borax mine and plant in Boron, California.
Rio Tinto is a foreign-owned, mega mining conglomerate that’s trying to force a concessionary contract ultimatum onto working families and communities in California’s High Desert. Rio Tinto’s ultimatum includes:
- The power to convert full-time jobs, whenever management wants, into part-time positions with little or no benefits.
- Authority to reduce employee pay, any time the company wants, regardless of the contract wage rates and without any right of workers to file a grievance.
- The ability to outsource all jobs, any time it wants, to contractors and temp agencies that pay low wages and provide little or no benefits, without any right to file a worker grievance.
- If Rio Tinto violates any state or federal labor laws, which it has already done, workers would be required to pay for the company's legal penalties, fines, damages and even attorney fees.
- The unlawful discrimination against military personnel by denying them seniority credit for military service if they've served in the Armed Forces for less than one year or for more than four years, which constitutes a violation of federal law (USERRA). Also among the company’s demands is the elimination of the Veteran’s Day holiday starting in 2011.
- The removal of scores of workers from the union contract and power to declare entire sections of the plant to be “non-union” areas where employees could be fired at any time, for any reason, or for no reason at all.
- The ability at any time to change shifts, hours and work assignments, and impose mandatory overtime, with no scheduled days-off or regular shifts, making life impossible for families.
- Require workers to give up their Constitutional and legal right as Americans to go to court if the foreign-owned company discriminates based on race, sex, age, disability, military status or religion, or if it violates any other state or federal laws, including the U.S. Civil Rights Act, FMLA, ADA, ERISA, FLSA.
- Under the Rio Tinto lockout contract, all legal rights would be transferred from American courts to a private arbitrator, which the company gets to pick in at least half the cases.
- Authority to eliminate long term disability coverage for any new employee, which protects workers -- and provides economic security to families -- when an employee is injured and can’t work.
- The drastic reduction of retirement benefits for current employees, and the total elimination of pension benefits for new employees who would only get a small 401(k) contribution.
Rio Tinto has a long and ugly history of disrespecting workers and communities here in the US and around the world. Our brothers and sisters in Australia’s Hunter Valley are facing the same kind of outrageous demands that families are facing in Boron.
Rio Tinto is currently being sued in US Federal Court for mistreating the community and environment in Papua, New Guinea.
In 2009, Rio Tinto made almost $5 Billion in profits, despite a world-wide recession. Several years ago, the company paid nearly $40 Billion for Alcan -- a decision that left Rio Tinto heavily in debt. The company is now trying to climb out of debt by driving down the working conditions of their employees.
The International Executive Board of the ILWU condemns Rio Tinto’s lockout of our Local 30 members. We urge all unions, community groups, environmental organizations and others who care about working families to lend whatever support they can to achieve a resounding victory over this greedy and abusive employer.
“Workers in Boron are fighting to save good jobs and help our communities in the high desert, but they’re really standing up for all workers in America who are sick of seeing good jobs destroyed or turned into ‘junk jobs’ without decent health care and retirement,” says Angie Holland-Young, a 17-year, award-winning employee with a perfect attendance record. See the Boron Miners website
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| Read Longshore & Shipping News
now in 48 languages |
 Look for this flag image at the Longshore and Shipping News web site to translate that site into a different language. |
| SAN FRANCISCO: Six months ago, the ILWU Coast Longshore Division created a web site, called Longshore & Shipping News, that highlights news articles from around the world. The site, which is updated daily, reflects the media's take on the global shipping industry. While the articles do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the officers, they give an informative look at what affects our U.S. West Coast jobs. With a global daily audience and a diverse waterfront, Longshore & Shipping News is now available in 48 languages, including Spanish, Croatian, Japanese, etc. Try it out by visiting the site and clicking on one of the flags under the calendar on the right side of that page. It takes about 10 seconds to translate the site. See how it works at:
www.longshoreshippingnews.com
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ILWU contributing to Haiti relief efforts
Thirty workers were killed when the Port-au-Prince dock collapsed in the January 12 earthquake. The port is now 10% operational and is the entry point for relief supplies. Photo by Tradewinds.
SAN FRANCISCO: On January 19, International President Robert McEllrath sent a letter urging all ILWU local unions, affiliates, pension clubs and auxiliaries to consider contributing to Haiti relief efforts. "The past couple of years have been difficult ones for working families, including our members," wrote McEllrath. "However, this is an exceptional situation, such as the effects of Hurricane Katrina and the tsunami in Indonesia, and ILWU members have historically met the challenge in times of need and demonstrated their compassion."
Checks are being collected at the international headquarters, and all funds will be contributed to a charitable organization working to provide emergency relief to survivors of the January 12 earthquake. For questions, please talk to your local union officers.
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Longshore workers volunteer to send tsunami relief containers to Samoa
More than 75 longshore workers from Locals 13, 63 and 94 volunteered a full day's work to load a ship with relief supplies bound for Samoa. Los Angeles Councilwoman Janice Hahn met several of them on the waterfront to thank them for their work.
LONG BEACH: When longshore workers of Samoan descent wanted to help their native land after the Sept. 29 tsunami, they sought help from their fellow ILWU members. Longshore workers stepped up to volunteer their labor, Local 13 leadership offered their support, International President Bob McEllrath worked with PMA President Jim McKenna – and within days, the Daily Breeze reported on the successful collaboration:
Fifteen cargo containers full of donated relief supplies are on their way to Samoa by ship. ... Longshoremen spent much of Wednesday loading the containers of donated goods onto the Cap Tapaga, which will arrive in Samoa in a couple of weeks. The ship was provided by shipping firm ITS and the labor was donated by the International Longshore and Warehouse Union.
The Long Beach Press-Telegram wrote:
The ILWU worked with shippers, relief agencies and members of Carson's Samoan community, which represents the world's largest Samoan population outside their native land. …The containers, donated by Hamburg Shipping and Polynesia Line, carry a capacity of 23,525 cubic feet, which were filled to the brim. Space aboard the ship was made available by the shipping company, International Transportation Services, who also agreed to waive the regular $45,000 shipping fee.
About 75 longshoremen [from ILWU Locals 13, 63 and 94] chipped in to help with loading throughout the day, and the ship, Cap Tapaga, departed by nightfall.
The Journal of Commerce wrote:
“This is a worthy cause and we commend the ILWU for its efforts. We are happy and honored to have the opportunity to contribute,” said Alex Cherin, the Port of Long Beach’s Managing Director of Trade Relations and Port Operations.
George Malauulu, an ILWU Local 13 longshoreman whose parents live in Samoa, was among several who coordinated the effort. He said, “The union, the shippers, the community-based groups, volunteers from around the community and the country -- before you knew it, our shared passion turned a little pebble into a big boulder."
The Samoa Disaster Relief Coalition for American Samoa and Samoa collected the supplies from around the country, and they continue to accept donations through their web site, at HelpSamoa.com.
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ILWU Member Addresses AFL-CIO; Delegates Pass Single-Payer Resolution
Dawn Des Brisay, president of Local 40 Marine Clerks, addressed delegates at the AFL-CIO Convention in Pittsburgh, PA, urging them to pass a resolution in support of universal health care. Delegates voted unanimously on Sept. 15 to pass the resolution, marking the first time in 20 years that the AFL-CIO has gone on record endorsing single-payer.
The resolution notes that "the experience of Medicare (and of nearly every other industrialized country) shows the most cost-effective and equitable way to provide quality health care is through a single-payer system. Our nation should provide a single high standard of comprehensive health care for all."
In other news from the convention, International President Robert McEllrath was one of nine new vice presidents elected to the AFL-CIO Executive Council. This will give the ILWU a greater voice in helping to shape our nation's labor policies at the AFL-CIO.
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on Huffington Post
