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Learn more about the Coast Longshore Division and check out our new Longshore & Shipping News web site for daily industry updates.

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The shipping industry is changing. We're publishing a summary of news items several times per week to keep you updated. See our new Longshore & Shipping News web site.

Coast Committeemen Reelected

FOR CALIFORNIA:	FOR THE NORTHWEST:

Ray Ortiz, Jr Coast Committeeman ILWU Local 13	Leal Sundet Coast Committeeman ILWU Local 8

We're making progress in our fight against TWIC

Click on the image of the flier or here to download and print it for others.

A recent New York Times editorial proves that our union is making progress in the fight against the ineffective, unfair TWIC program. When Congress passed TWIC after the 9/11 attacks, few politicians were willing to help us fight this unfair and ineffective program.

That’s why our Coast Longshore Division hired legal experts at the National Employment Law Project to protect members and gather evidence about TWIC problems. That evidence was cited by the New York Times in their editorial about TWIC problems.

TWIC isn’t the answer.

We need to keep the heat on politicians until they get rid of TWIC. The real security problem at our ports is obvious: almost no containers are being inspected.

Recent Longshore News

75th Anniversary of Bloody Thursday

Police shot and killed longshore workers in 1934. On July 5, 1934, police shot at waterfront workers who were striking for better working conditions killing two and injuring 109. Tens of thousands of San Francisco workers marched in solidarity with the fallen workers, shutting the city down for several days and boosting the union movement for all American workers. On July 5, 2009, workers from Southern California to the Puget Sound marked the 75th anniversary of this important date by mourning the dead and celebrating 75 years of victories for workers.

BLOODY THURSDAY IN THE NEWS

The San Francisco Chronicle wrote:

More than 300 union workers and supporters, many wearing rugged Ben Davis shirts and white newsboy caps, marched slowly down San Francisco's waterfront Sunday morning on the 75th anniversary of Bloody Thursday, a critical moment for the West Coast labor movement.

The workers who came together to strike in 1934 "fought for a better way of life, for all of us," said Malaika Johnson, 39, a fourth-generation longshoreman from Oakland, who inherited her father's job upon his death 10 years ago. "We have to carry these names on with us."

Also marching was 62-year-old Laurie Olsen of Berkeley, who honored her father, Jack Olsen, a warehouseman who participated in the general strike. She teared up as she described her "young and idealistic" father. "It was a moment in time," Olsen said, "when working people got together and said, 'No more.' "

Read the full article at the San Francisco Chronicle.

KCBS said:

The fatal shootings of two workers that day was a turning point for the West Coast labor movement. Michael Villeggiante, a trustee for the Bay Area Longshoremen's Memorial Association, says things have come full circle for labor with the country facing similar economic challenges to what was occurring in 1934.

"It's not the workers in this country that have problems or are doing the wrong thing," He said. "It's the corporations, and maybe some of the CEOs need to take a cut in pay."

Read the article at KCBS or download and listen to the podcast.


•	Democracy in Action at the 2009 Longshore Caucus in Seattle The ILWU Longshore Caucus is a democratic meeting of longshore workers who are elected by their fellow members to discuss issues and vote on solutions. We recently met in Seattle, WA, to chart our course for the coming year. Speaking at the microphone is Pacific Coast Pensioners Association President Rich Austin, a retired longshoreman from Everett, WA. Waiting for their turn to speak are Dan Imbagliazzo of ILWU Local 13 in LA/Long Beach, CA, and Melvin Mackay, President of ILWU Local 10 in San Francisco and Oakland, CA. Caucus photos by Lewis Wright, retired Local 63 marine clerk.

•	Report from the Safety Committee Tim Podue, Local 13 longshore worker who chairs the longshore division's Safety Committee, delivered the committee's report to the June 2009 Longshore Caucus. The heavy equipment in constant motion, along with noise on the docks, mean we have to vigilant about safety. According to federal statistics, longshore workers have a higher fatality rate than police officers and fire fighters. Our Safety Committee seeks ways to keep our fellow workers safe from injuries.

•	Caucus Honors Retiring Longshore Workers For the past four decades, Lawrence Thibeaux has earned a lot of respect on the docks as a longshoreman and elected union officer in Northern California. His fellow ILWU Local 10 members recently honored Brother Thibeaux (in the blue striped shirt) at the 2009 Longshore Caucus in Seattle. Many longshore workers from Oregon, Washington and California recalled how he has mentored us over the years. Several other retiring longshore workers were honored at the Caucus, including John Tousseau from Local 63 in Southern California, and Steve Hanson from Local 8 in Portland, OR.

•	Legislative Committee Celebrates Victories for Working Families Our Legislative Committee reported on the enormous success that members have had in electing candidates who care about working families issues like health care, good jobs and more. The 2008 campaign was the union's most ambitious voter education and mobilization effort to date, and resulted in many victories for working families. The Legislative Committee, from left to right: Max Vekich from ILWU Local 52, Lawrence Thibeaux from Local 10, Mike Mitre from Local 13, Willie Adams from Local 23 and International Secretary-Treasurer, Dawn Des Brisay from Local 40, and Peter Peyton from Local 63.

•	The trouble with TWIC The implementation of Transport Workers Identification Credential (TWIC) cards in seaports has caused hundreds of longshore workers and marine clerks to be unfairly denied work in the ports. The TWIC program has been plagued with problems from the beginning. Workers with prior criminal convictions—even those who have served their time and now have clean records—are ineligible for TWIC cards. So are workers who lack immigration papers; a requirement that has impacted some ILWU members and forced thousands of port truckers to lose their jobs. “We need to keep on top of Congress, TSA officials, and the Coast Guard to make sure people are getting fair hearings and have a chance to show that they’re not security risks,” said Leal Sundet of the Coast Committee. For more information about TWIC read the ILWU’s ‘white paper.’

•	Southland ILWU members march to honor new memorial Hundreds of longshore workers and their families joined port truckers, firefighters, and community members in San Pedro on May 15 to commemorate the 1934 waterfront strike that led to the founding of the ILWU. Marchers walked three miles down Harry Bridges Boulevard to Gibson Park to witness the inauguration of a new memorial honoring the martyrs who gave their lives in the '34 strike and all the other longshore workers who have died on the docks since the union was founded. Southern California Pensioners worked with Locals 13, 63, and 94 to build the memorial, which features a bronze bust of Harry Bridges.

•	Local 21 members cry foul on a waterfront company Robert Roden, Jake Ford, Chris Holter and Jason Davis are among the ILWU Local 21 members who are drawing attention to the business practices of Chinook Ventures, a company developing a private port facility in Longview, Wash. Local longshore workers say Chinook Ventures is taking advantage of the region's depressed economy by paying its employees substandard wages and violating environmental protection laws. The Washington Dept. of Ecology has fined Chinook Ventures $150,000 for air and water quality violations. In April an area standards picket in front of the company's waterfront headquarters drew more than 100 supporters from area unions and environmental organizations. Local 21 members say they will continue holding the company's feet to the fire until they see an improvement in the way Chinook Ventures treats workers and the environment.

•	Local 10 member says greener energy equals better jobs Local 10 member Lamont Kelly spoke for the ILWU at a protest in April against offshore oil drilling in California. While acknowledging that oil drilling has provided some jobs for ILWU members, Kelly questioned the need for more drilling, noting that the climate crisis requires the country to move forward with wind power, solar energy, and other renewables, including tidal and wave power projects that could supply a steady stream of well-paying union jobs. "I met all sorts of groups who want to work with the ILWU to fight for greener energy and union jobs," he said.

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