Four Seasons warehouse workers sworn in as members of Local 29-A after ratifying first contract
Substantial gains won after three-year organizing battle, help and solidarity from ILWU members across Southern California
Five new members of ILWU Substantial gains won after three-year organizing battle, help and solidarity from ILWU members across Southern California Local 29-A, Local 29’s warehouse division, were sworn in by Local 29 President Anthony Soniga at a membership meeting on March 17 after workers unanimously ratified their first contract with Four Seasons Fresh Transport, a transfer facility at the Port of San Diego.
Three-year fight
The ratification was the culmination of three years of organizing, including more than a year of bargaining to reach an agreement on the first contract. Workers won substantial economic improvements including nearly doubling their wages, sick leave, healthcare, and retirement benefits. Workers at Four Seasons voted unanimously for ILWU representation in October of 2021. Before organizing with the ILWU, wages for workers were so low that some workers commuted from Tijuana, Mexico to make ends meet. “We were making the minimum wage. Gas and prices have been going up. By joining the ILWU we were able to negotiate health insurance, better wages, and the working environment will also be better. I never thought I would have the opportunity to be a part of this union and I couldn’t be more grateful,” said Four Seasons worker Rose Diana Gualos. “These warehouse workers reached out to us to help them organize,” Soniga said at the membership meeting. “We’ve got to protect our existing workforce and we also have to reach out to other workers that need our help, give them a hand, and bring them along with us.”
ILWU solidarity
The victory was won with the commitment, courage, and unity of the Four Seasons warehouse workers, and solidarity from the ILWU family. Local 29 members had the backs of the workers from the earliest days of the campaign. In September of 2021, 30 members from Local 29 joined Four Seasons workers as they marched on the boss with a petition asking the company for voluntary union recognition. Local 63 OCU President John Fageaux, Local 63 OCU Vice President Dawn Feikema, and Local 63 OCU Secretary- Treasurer Shari Delprino assisted workers in contract negotiations.
Scores of ILWU members traveled to San Diego from all over Southern California to support Four Seasons workers when they went out on a one-day strike on November 16, 2023. Members from Locals 13, 29, 29-A, 56, 63 OCU, and the Inlandboatmen’s Union marched on the picket line with Four Season’s workers starting at 2 a.m. Many ILWU members from Los Angeles made the drive to San Diego with less than 12 hours of notice after hearing about the strike the evening before.
“We are a small group but they made us feel like giants,” Gualos said about the ILWU’s solidarity. “When the ILWU showed up and honored the picket line, we sent a message to the employer that they weren’t just dealing with 6 or 7 workers but workers up and down the coast who had their back,” said Fageaux who was among the ILWU members who came out to walk the picket line with workers.
Crossing the finish line
“It was very emotional when we got to the end and I knew we had reached a deal with the employer,” said Feikema. “This was a small unit and it was important to keep them together for such a long bargaining period; you can lose hope at times. During negotiations, we were able to keep the ball moving forward with every bargaining session and in the end, we were able to get not just a first contract but a great contract. It’s rewarding and an honor for me to fight alongside them and to have been asked to participate. I am thrilled to be able to see them sworn in tonight as members of this great union.”
Stronger together
Fageaux credited the diverse talents and coordinated efforts of ILWU members who assisted Four Seasons workers in getting a deal done. “We have a lot of talent and experience throughout this union from officers to rank-and-file members,” Fageaux said. “It’s important to tap into those internal resources that we have to help other members and locals across our union. I saw that negotiating this contract—working with the International Organizing Committee and the officers of Local 29. Things got difficult but no one was phased by it or gave up. We all just kept pushing through. Seeing how important organizing this union and winning a first contract was to these workers made this all worthwhile. Looking into their eyes you could see that failure was not an option. We knew we had to make this work and we did.”
Soniga added, “Local 29 was excited to support Four Seasons warehouse workers because it showed that solidarity in the Port of San Diego is strong. We were able to show strength in numbers, respect the picket line of these workers, and show that an injury to one is an injury to all. Knowing that you have a strong union like the ILWU behind you gives you the strength and courage to fight for what you believe in and what you deserve: fair wages, good working conditions, benefits, and a better quality of life for you and your family.”