From left to right: Ray Fife, Assistant General Secretary, MUNZ, Mark Gordienko, President, ILWU Canada, Carl Findlay, National Vice President MUNZ, ILWU Int’l Secretary TreasurerWillie Adams, Garry Parsloe, National President, MUNZ, Joe Fleetwood, General Secretary, MUNZ, ILWU Int’l Vice President Ray Familathe, Int’l Vice President Wesley Furtado, IWU Int’l President, Robert McEllrath.
The Maritime Union held its 4th Triennial Conference in Wellington, New Zealand from 6 November 6 to November 9. The ongoing Ports of Auckland dispute was part of a busy agenda that included other MUNZ campaigns, ranging from opposing port privatization, promoting secure jobs and fighting casualization, and advocating for much tighter health and safety regulations in the maritime industry.
MUNZ General Secretary, Joe Fleetwood,sat the Maritime Union will continue to play a leading role in advancing the interests of maritime workers and the wider working class.
Representing the ILWU were all of the international officers:President Robert McEllrath, Vice President Ray Familathe, Vice President Wesley Furtado and Secretary Treasurer Willie Adams—along with Mark Gordienko, President of ILWU Canada.
International President of the International Transport Workers’ Federation, and Secretary of the Maritime Union of Australia, Paddy Crumlin was also in attendance as were three officials from the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA), the dock workers union from the east coast of North America, attended for the first time, led by Kenneth Riley, President of ILA Local 1422, Charleston, South Carolina.
Other international unions represented at the conference included, CFMEU Mining and Energy Division (Australia), Electrical Trades Union (Australia), Australian Workers’ Union, All Japan Dock Workers Union Zen Kowan, and RMT (UK).