Coast Committee: The members of the Coast Committee were among the 86 delegates for the Longshore Division Caucus which met April 8-12 In San Francisco. Delegates tackled tough issues facing the Division including automation, jurisdiction, and safety. In the top photo (L-R) are ILWU International President Willie Adams and ILWU International Vice President (Mainland) Bobby Olvera, Jr. In bottom photo (L-R) are Coast Committeemen Cam Williams and Frank Ponce De Leon.
A group of 86 Coast Longshore Division Caucus delegates gathered in San Francisco from April 8-12 to share information, discuss policy and get the latest news from the ILWU Coast Committee. Caucus meetings begin with the election of a Chair, Secretary, Parliamentarian and Sergeant-at-Arms. Delegates elected Local 40’s George O’Neil as Chair, Local 13’s Mark Jurisic as Secretary, Local 47’s Robert Rose as Parliamentarian and Local 10’s Aaron Wright and 23’s Perry Hopkins as Sergeant-at-Arms.
The meeting was dedicated to the memory of more than 15 ILWU leaders who recently passed, including former International President Dave Arian, former Local 63 members Lewis Wright and Steven Bebich, Northwest labor historian Dr. Ron Magden, former IBU President Alan Coté, former Local 6 Secretary-Treasurer Fred Pecker, and Salvatore Cresci of Local 10.
ILWU International President Willie Adams requested that ILWU attorney Eleanor Morton provide the Caucus with a brief report about an ongoing Department of Labor investigation and potential lawsuit regarding the 2018 ILWU International election. The information provided to the Caucus was identical to the information that was provided to the International Executive Board the previous week. Discussion about new automation on the docks was extensive.
The Clerks’ Technology Committee provided an account of their efforts to monitor and defend jurisdiction from outsourcing – and make sure the new technology isn’t being used to evade compliance with the contract. Efforts to ramp-up the Longshore and M&R Technology Committees were discussed, especially in light of the automation plan pending at the Port of Los Angeles.
Mr. Chairman: Local 40’s George O’Neil was chosen by delegates to chair the Caucus on April 8.
The Safety Committee reported that hours worked on the coast are up and injuries are down, however considerable time was devoted to preventing horrible fatalities, such as one that took the life of Local 21 brother Byron Jacobs on June 28, 2018, when a vessel line snapped at the Port of Longview. A similar discussion concerned the death of Local 98 brother Craig Wheeler, who was struck by a trailer being backed-up by a UTR aboard a Tote vessel in Tacoma on December 21, 2018. The Safety Committee has responded by proposing new safety procedures and equipment that could prevent similar tragedies.
A report from the Pension and Welfare Committee explored claim processing problems, including out-of-network ambulance services, chiropractic and acupuncture treatment. An update on intraocular lenses, the devices used in cataract surgery, revealed that all forms of “specialty lenses” are now covered for members needing cataract eye surgery.
The health-related portion of the report concluded with an update from the Pensioners’ Long Term Care Committee, which is exploring the viability of a “hybrid” life insurance and long-term-care benefit.
The ILWU-PMA Pension Plan was estimated to be funded at 95% according to a consulting firm, but the actual percentage will fluctuate due to a variety of factors, including investment returns, benefit increases taking effect July 1, and whether the PMA decides to contribute more than legal minimums required by federal regulators.
Safety first: New safety equipment, including this helmet displayed by Safety Committee Chair Mike Podue, was discussed at the Caucus meeting.
The Caucus traditionally devotes time to matters of international solidarity, and this meeting was no exception.The Longshore Division and ILWU work closely with the International Transport Workers Federation, which has active campaigns to protest violence against dockworkers in Cameroon, support Spanish dockers opposed to privatizing public docks, helping Italian dockers protect union jurisdiction and safety rules, and oppose anti-union attacks in Colombia, Indonesia, PapuaNew Guinea, Ukraine. A report was provided about the campaigns in Australia, where Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) members are struggling to secure stevedoring, baggage handling, porter and security work on cruise ships operating in Australian and New Zealand ports. The struggle by Spanish dockers to cope with a national effort to privatize the nation’s public ports was also highlighted.
Legislative action topics included efforts by the ILWU to stop the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) from promoting and subsidizing automation at US ports. The effort was being spearheaded by the DOT’s Maritime Administration, known as MARAD. The ILWU is monitoring developments there. Anti-union members of Congress continue pushing automation subsidies, so the ILWU has been working with the AFL-CIO Transportation Trades Department to block funding for any automation project that destroys jobs. Anti-union policies and appointments continue to be implemented by the Trump administration at the Department of Labor and National Labor Relations Board.
Another Trump initiative, announced in late 2018, called for using military bases on the West Coast as coal export terminals. Washington State Governor Jay Inslee called the idea “reckless and harebrained,” adding, “The men and women who serve at our military bases are there to keep our country safe, not to service an export facility for private fossil fuel companies.” The legislative reports concluded with updates on work in the State legislatures of California, Oregon, and Washington.
On the last evening of the Caucus, members boarded buses to attend a rally with veterinary workers who voted last year to join the ILWU. That event was held in front of the VCA/SFVS animal hospital, owned by the Mars Corporation, that has hired anti-union attorneys and consultants to frustrate workers who are negotiating a first contract. The rally was well-attended and featured spirited talks from rank-and-file members and a call to action by International Vice President Bobby Olvera, Jr. Afterwards, the buses took. Caucus delegates to the nearby Anchor Brewery, where they met with workers who recently voted to join the ILWU.
The Caucus concluded the next day after agreeing on committee assignments for work that will take place until the next Caucus meeting.