The slogan of the Pacific Coast Pensioners Association (PCPA) is “Retired from the job, not from the struggle.” And based on the enthusiasm and energy on display at the 46th PCPA convention, those are more than just words on a banner. Over 200 PCPA members and guests attended this year’s convention which was held in Portland, from Sept. 16-18. The topics debated and discussed by PCPA members included the upcoming 2014 Longshore contract negotiations, the fight to protect ILWU medical benefits and the recent disaffiliation of the ILWU from the national AFL-CIO. Linda Kuhn, retired Executive Assistant to the President at the ILWU attended the convention. She was honored with a lifetime membership to the PCPA by the delegates.
The convention was dedicated to the memory of James Trevor Tannock, retired Deputy National Secretary of the Maritime Union of Australia, who passed away on September 13, and Southern California pensioner Jack Dillon a former member of Locals 13 and 63, who passed away on September 17.
PCPA President’s report
In his report, PCPA President Rich Austin outlined the past year of activism by ILWU pensioners. PCPA members picketed at terminal’s up and down the coast and the offices of the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA) in Oakland and San Francisco to protest PMA attacks on ILWU health benefits, Austin said. Pensioners also supported locked out ILWU grain handlers in the Pacific Northwest, and participated in the ILWU International/Longshore Division Joint Legislative Conference.
They have also been participating on the ILWU Education Committee and Benefits Committee. “Pensioners can play important and necessary roles, and the ILWU recognizes that,” Austin said.
He also said PCPA members are getting ready for 2014. “Next year, the Longshore Division will enter bargaining with the PMA. When, however, we adjourn on Wednesday we’ll do so with a resolve and a pledge to the active workforce and the entire ILWU family that we’ll do all we can to help win a good contract,” said Austin. “And leading up to 2014, we can remind the active workforce that it would be wise to prepare for any eventualities. Tell them to hold on to their vacation checks and income tax refunds until the contract is settled. Tell them to salt a few bucks away. The better prepared we are for a struggle, the less likely one will occur. “
United union
The convention was well attended by ILWU officers. International President Bob McEllrath, Vice President Wesley Furtado, (Hawaii), Secretary Treasurer Willie Adams, Coast Committeemen Leal Sundet and Ray Ortiz, Jr., were all in attendance and spoke at the convention. Vice President Ray Familathe was ill and was not able to attend. Also in attendance were Local 13 President Chris Viramontes, Local 63 President Mike Podue and Local 8 President Jeff Smith.
President McEllrath addressed the convention on the first day. He spoke about the attacks on the health care benefits of active members and pensioners by the employers and explained the decision to leave the national AFL-CIO. President McEllrath cited the attacks by AFL-CIO affiliates and frustrations with the AFL-CIO’s conservative position on immigration and health care reform. “At a certain point you have to start asking yourself, what is the benefit of being in the AFLCIO,”
McEllrath said. “We are getting attacked on our health care and we are getting attacked on our jurisdiction. But we are going to fight. You are the ones who taught me how to fight as a union man since I got on the docks in 1969,” McEllrath said, thanking the pensioners for their leadership.
Unanimous support for disaffiliation
On the second day of the convention the PCPA by passing a resolution to support the decision by the ILWU to disaffiliate from the national AFL-CIO:
Solidarity with Our Officers
Whereas: The ILWU has always been a leader of labor and labor unions and is recognized around the world as being a leader, and
Whereas: The ILWU Convention in San Diego gave our President Bob McEllrath overwhelming support to withdraw from the AFL-CIO if he established that our participation was not beneficial to the ILWU and did not follow our Guiding Principles, therefore
Be It Resolved: The Pacific Coast Pensioners Association in solidarity support International President Robert McEllrath in his principled stand by withdrawing the ILWU from the AFL-CIO, and
Be It Further Resolved: We the pensioners of the ILWU will continue to be staunch supporters of all workers and organizations that uphold the principles of labor and labor unions.
Passed by delegates to the 46th
Annual Convention of the Pacific
Coast Pensioners Association
Portland, OR
September 17, 2013
Report from Canada
Len Meneghello from the Vancouver Pensioners Club gave the report from Canada. He gave an update on the political situation in British Columbia and said that environmental concerns need to be balanced with the need to maintain a strong industrial base that can provide good paying jobs. Meneghello also outlined the charitable activities of the Vancouver pensioners including support for students in underprivileged schools.
Benefits plan
ILWU Coast Benefits Specialist John Castanho along with the Area Directors for the benefits plan, coordinators for the Alcohol and Drug Recover Program, and representatives of the Benefits Plans Office also spoke at the convention and were available to answer questions. They discussed the efforts to resolve the payment delays caused by PMA’s handpicked claims processing company, Zenith America and other issues related to the health and pension plans.
Featured speaker
Progressive economist and author Dean Baker spoke at the convention again this year. Baker criticized the administration’s inadequate response to the 2008 financial crisis. He said the priorities in Washington, D.C. were backwards. The government gave a massive handout to the financial industry that caused the crisis but the stimulus to provide jobs to the millions of Americans who lost their jobs was far too small to be effective. “Don’t be fooled by the deficit hawks on Wall Street,” he said. They are not opposed to the government handing out money, they are only opposed to it when they aren’t the recipients.”
Labor archives
Also speaking at the event was Conor Casey from the Labor Archives of the University of Washington. Casey gave an update on the ongoing project that plays a vital role in preserving the history of working people in the Pacific Northwest. Joining Conor was Ross Rieder, President of the Pacific Northwest Labor History Association, who also spoke about the importance of preserving the history of working class heroes and heroines.
Jesse and Lois Stranahan Award Verna Porter of the Columbia Rivers Pensioners received this year’s Jesse and Lois Stranahan Award. The award is given every year to honor an outstanding labor activist. It was another successful PCPA convention and planning is already underway for next year’s convention which will be held from September 15-17 in Vancouver, Canada.