Photo by David Bacon
Dozens of workers at the Bay Area’s Castlewood Country Club approved a contract on February 13 with good job security, more affordable family health care, protections against subcontracting, strong seniority rights, raises, and a substantial signing bonus. The victory followed a lengthy employer lockout imposed when workers refused to accept the Club’s concession demands. The mostly immigrant workers returned to their jobs in October 2012 because a National Labor Relations Board judge ruled the lockout was illegal. ILWU members in the Bay Area joined other unions, community groups and interfaith leaders to provide support. “These workers deserved our support because they decided to organize and fight instead of rolling-over,” said Local 75 Secretary-Treasurer Patric Kim. “This time it was them; next time it could be any of us.” In November of 2010, ILWU members turned out to support the locked-out families. A carload of Local 30 workers locked-out by Rio Tinto in Boron, were prepared to drive] 6 hours to join the event, but were stopped by snowstorms. (L-R) Bob Arce of Local 6, Secretary-Treasurer Patric Kim of Local 75, Ron Zampa of Local 6, Albie McCarthy of Local 75, Carey Dall of Local 6 and Charley Lincoln of Local 10.