Locked Out: Members of Local 4 are on the picket line after being locked out by Mitsui-United Grain in Vancouver, WA .Photo by Jared Moultrie
Longshore workers in Oregon and Washington are continuing their round-the-clock fight for a fair contract at grain terminals owned by some of the world’s largest grain corporations nearly a year after negotiations began last August. ILWU workers have exported a significant portion of the nation’s grain through Northwest ports under a collective bargaining agreement that dates back to the 1930’s.
Of the four employers in the Pacific Northwest Grain Handlers Association, three are waging an attack on the ILWU workforce that have made them profitable in the region. Two Japanese-owned companies, Mitsui-United Grain in Vancouver, WA, and Marubeni-Columbia Grain in Portland, have locked out ILWU members under dubious conditions and imported scab replacement workers. A third company, French-owned Louis Dreyfus, operates grain export terminals in Seattle and Portland. All three foreign companies imposed a concessionary contract in December that had been rejected by union members by a 94% “no” vote.
The fourth grain employer – and the only one based in the United States – is TEMCO, owned by U.S.-based Cargill and CHS, with terminals in Kalama, Tacoma and Portland. Unlike the foreign-owned grain corporations, TEMCO declined to impose unilateral concessionary terms on workers and chose instead to negotiate a collective bargaining agreement that was ratified by 74% of the members of Locals 4, 8, 19, 21 and 23 in February.
Police overreaction
The month began with an event on May Day at the Mitsui-United Grain picket line in Vancouver, where union members watched as dozens of police cruisers and motorcycles suddenly appeared. The police were using an excessive amount of public resources and overtime to crowd the picket line for reasons that were never explained.
“We weren’t sure why so many of them came to watch our picket line, but they eventually left after watching us for a while,” said Local 4 President Cager Clabaugh.
Concern from local clergy
This incident and similar ones sparked a letter of concern from Brooks Berndt, pastor of the First Congregational United Church of Christ in Vancouver that was published in the local newspaper, The Columbian. Pastor Berndt explained:
“As a person of faith, I believe in the power of nonviolent protest for social change. As a citizen, I believe in the right to peaceful demonstrations. While United Grain Corporation has an enormous amount of money and power at its disposal in imposing the lockout, these workers depend upon their public voice.
In addition to being a waste of taxpayer money, such a gross overreaction by the police and sheriff’s department does not make me feel more safe. It makes me feel less safe. It makes me feel like I do not live in a place that cherishes freedom as I do.
When there are peaceful demonstrations in the future, let the response be proportional to the event and let it contribute to our community’s sense of well-being.
Similar sentiments were expressed by the Rev. Jeremy Lucas of the Episcopal Church of the Holy Spirit in Battle Ground, WA. He visited a local Holiday Inn on May Day morning with community and union members who were peacefully protesting the presence of Mitsui-United Grain replacement workers. Lucas said police arrived in “riot gear” and made a few arrests for mostly trivial matters. The previous week, another church leader participated in a peaceful protest at the hotel that triggered an extraordinary show of force, with 37 police cars and 50 police officers.
Marubeni locks out Portland workers
Marubeni locked out ILWU workers from the Columbia Grain elevator in Portland on May 4. The company’s hostile lockout was no surprise to Local 8 President Bruce Holte, who noted that Marubeni had already hired out-of-state replacement workers beginning last fall while contract talks were still underway. That move convinced Holte that Marubeni-Columbia Grain wasn’t serious about negotiating in good faith to reach a new agreement with the union.
Charges filed against employers
The ILWU has filed numerous charges against the grain companies for violating federal labor laws, including unlawful lockouts, illegal firing and retaliation against union members and negotiating in bad faith.
“We file charges to make a point and protect our rights, but we have little faith in the government’s ability or willingness to protect workers today,” said ILWU Coast Committeeman Leal Sundet. “In the final analysis, it’s up to workers and the community,” he said.
River protest in Kalama
On the morning of May 7, nine local recreational and fishing boats held a protest on the Columbia River that resulted in a 623-foot long grain ship, the Mary H, remaining anchored in the river instead of docking at the Kalama Export terminal to receive a load of grain. Kalama Export – also known as Peavey – is co-owned by Gavilon, a massive grain company currently being purchased by Marubeni.
The ship had previously been loaded with another grain shipment by scab replacement workers hired by Mitsui- United Grain in Vancouver.
The nine-boat flotilla was peaceful and remained on the river until a Coast Guard vessel asked the small boats to disperse and respect a “safetyzone” established to protect companies during lockouts. One boat received a citation from Coast Guard officials; possibly the result of a misunderstanding over whether the safety zone was 200 yards or 200 feet.
Walking boss injured by semi-truck at picket line
On May 16, Portland walking boss Karl Minic was among about a dozen picketers who were confronted by a Marubeni customer who was trying to drive a semi-truck into Columbia Grain’s gate. When the driver instructed his boxer to attack the workers, the dog befriended them instead.
The driver lost his temper, apparently released the brake and allowed his truck to lurch forward – twice – into the workers. Minic was knocked to the ground by the massive truck and sustained injuries to his elbow, knee and back. At press time, the Portland District Attorney’s office was reviewing Gettier Security video of the incident, and no charges had yet been pressed against the driver.
Support from the community and pledges of solidarity from around the globe buoy the morale at the picket line, where ILWU members remain 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The companies that have been profitable for decades by the work of ILWU represented workers continue to spend enormous resources preventing such workers from doing their jobs.
The union continues to encourage the foreign employers to use the TEMCO agreement as a template for an agreement. “There’s only one solution: The foreign grain companies that are operating at our public ports must do the right thing, and reach a fair agreement with the workforce that made them successful in the first place,” said Sundet.