ILWU activists flock to Labor Notes conference amid labor movement resurgence

On Juneteenth weekend, more than 70 rank-and-file ILWU members joined with 4,000 other labor activists at the Labor Notes conference in Chicago. The event featured speakers, workshops, trainings, and opportunities for union members and activists to share tactics, strategies, and build the relationships that are central to strengthening the labor movement. New York Times labor reporter Noam Scheiber characterized the conference as “the epicenter of the U.S. labor movement.”

Labor Notes was founded in 1979 on the principle that democracy, member participation, and militancy makes unions stronger and more effective. They publish a monthly newspaper, and practical guides and books to educate workers trying to build power in their workplaces. They also hold regional “Troublemaker Schools” that teach workers essential skills for organizing in their workplaces.

Union building
The conference served as an important networking and union-building opportunity for members to build lasting relationships across regions and divisions of the ILWU, said Local 23 member Brian Skiffington.

“Having been to Labor Notes once before, for me this trip was less about the conference and more about the connections we are building with workers in our union,” Skiffington said. “Seeing new friendships develop between Canadians, So Cal, Alaskans, and warehouse workers — it’s the glue that binds the union together.”

Alaska Longshore Division Vice President Jeff Hancock added, “This was a great opportunity for our people to come together and bond with other members they wouldn’t normally get to meet. Events like this are where we build the networks and lifelong friendships that are so important to the strength of our union.”

“I felt a deep sense of camaraderie with everyone, especially my fellow ILWU folks,” added Local 23 B-woman, Tianna Kelly. “This trip was extremely impactful and humanized everyone in a way that I haven’t experienced with my work peers prior. I feel less apathetic, more inspired, and genuinely overjoyed with the friendships that I’ve built in my union. I feel more supported than ever and more able to extend trust and support to others.”

Making connections, opening eyes

ILWU members also were able to meet workers from other unions and learn from each other’s experiences. Union activists from all over the country were eager to hear about the democratic traditions of the ILWU, while new ILWU members had the chance to learn first-hand about the labor movement through the eyes of workers who are struggling to form their first union or win a first contract. Others said that the energy and enthusiasm helped them to refocus and rekindle commitments to building the labor movement.

“My eyes were opened to the struggles other workers face in their fights for creating and strengthening their unions,” said Local 23 B-man Nicalo Elverston. “Even though many of us in the ILWU came into an already established and strong union, we can’t take what we have for granted. The fight has been brought to us in recent years and I have to prepare myself and other| young workers for what may come.”

“This experience gave me more knowledge of unions, the labor movement, and solidarity,” added Local 63 OCU member Jamie Bulaich. “This was a touchstone to bring me back to what is important. We are so wrapped up in our daily lives on the job that can we lose sight of the fact that we are a part of something massive and profound. Going to Labor Notes re-awakes that awareness within you.”

Workers on the move

This year’s sold-out conference was the largest Labor Notes event ever. The record-setting turnout comes in the context of a resurgence in labor organizing as a new generation of workers turns to collective action in response to an economy that has failed to produce jobs that meet their economic needs and fulfill their expectations. Recent data from the National Labor Relations Board shows that between October 2021 and March of this year, there was a 57 percent increase in union representation petitions compared to the previous year.

In addition to this year’s record-setting attendance, the conference was notably younger than previous years, noted Local 63 OCU President John Fageaux, who has been attending Labor Notes for the past 12 years.

“This has been the biggest crowd I’ve seen,” Fageaux said. “The crowd was extremely progressive, young, energized, and militant – all of the things you want to see. The labor movement is alive and well, and I believe we are finally going to see some growth after decades of slow decline.”

Jeff Hancock attended the last in-person Labor Notes conference held prior to the pandemic. He said the mood this year was more optimistic. “That conference was focused on responding to the right-wing attacks on collective bargaining rights in response to the Janus decision,” Hancock said. “This year’s conference was not about being reactive and playing defense. It was about workers organizing and expanding their power.” The U.S. Supreme Court’s 2018 Janus v. AFSCME ruling made “right to work” the law of the land for public sector workers.

ILWU rolls deep

The ILWU’s diverse delegation included members from every region and division and included long-time ILWU members, pensioners, and young workers including B’s and casuals. Young workers spent months fundraising and organizing in their locals to make it to Chicago. ILWU Canada’s Second Vice President Dan Kask said that the majority of their 16-person delegation was the result of organizing efforts by members of ILWU Canada’s Young Workers Committee.

“We technically only sent four people from the ILWU Canada Young Workers Committee. They did all the fundraising and everything on their own. They took it upon themselves to go out and organize other people to come. Those folks either did fundraising through their own locals or went on their own dime.”

Other ILWU locals that sent large delegations of members and casuals included Local 23, which sent 19 workers, Local 63 OCU which sent 10 workers, and Local 19 which sent five workers. Local 94 member Fran Grove said it was inspiring for her to see so many locals bring large delegations that included B-books and casuals. “That made me excited for the future of the union to see the enthusiasm and participation from these young workers,” she said.

Centering workers

The conference featured high-profile speakers and presenters throughout the weekend, including U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders, newly elected Teamsters President Sean O’Brien, International President of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA Sara Nelson, and Stacy Davis Gates, the new President of the Chicago Teachers Union. But the real stars of the weekend were the rank-and-file activists who are organizing their workplaces and a building strong democratic labor movement.

Amazon Labor Union (ALU) President Christian Smalls, who helped build the first successful organizing drive at an Amazon warehouse, inspired many workers at the conference. Smalls is emerging as a symbol for a militant, young labor movement that is confronting 21st Century corporate titans like Amazon and Starbucks.

Grove said she was impressed with Smalls. “I had the opportunity to speak to Mr. Smalls,” Grove said. “He’s a fantastic young man that is leading a new set of workers. I like the way that he is thinking. I like the fact that he wasn’t about himself, but that he is trying to move a group of workers forward. What the Amazon Labor Union is doing is going to be for the betterment of every worker in the supply chain.”

Education for activists

Panel discussions were informative and practical. Speakers relayed advice on strategy and tactics and discussed recent organizing campaigns. At the session called “Labor’s Upsurge: How Unions Can Make the Most of This Moment,” panelists from the Amazon Labor Union and Starbucks Workers United discussed their groundbreaking campaigns. Other panels included “Striking before union recognition,” “Direct Action,” and “Researching Your Employer for Organizing and Bargaining Campaigns.”

Hancock said he attended a workshop on bargaining tactics and found that it provided him with useful information that was directly relevant to his work as a union officer. “Labor Notes is a great educational opportunity for members,” Hancock said. “They offer a lot of short courses on grievance handling, contract negotiations and other important skills for current and future leaders of our union.”

Beating apathy

Several ILWU members were presenters and facilitators on discussion panels. Local 23 Vice President Dean McGrath spoke on a panel on supply chain organizing. Zack Pattin of Local 23 was a facilitator for the longshore worker breakout group, and also helped facilitate a session that was part of a series of Secrets of a Successful Organizer workshops. The group of about 150 discussed how unions address problems in the workplace and hurdles to bringing more members into unions. Participants practiced effective “organizing conversations” to find the issues that move people into action.

“The fundamental lesson from ‘Beating Apathy,’” said Pattin, “is that apathy isn’t real. Everybody cares about something. It’s your job to ask the right questions and identify the issues that do matter to people. So you have to listen. Then we can come up with a plan to get more people willing to fight the boss by getting past the actual barriers: fear, division, hopelessness, and confusion — problems that are largely created by the employer.” Members and casuals from several ILWU and IBU locals attended the “Beating Apathy” workshop, before attending the subsequent sessions in the Secrets track.

Democracy is power|

Dan Kask spoke on a panel called “Democracy is power: Leadership in Democratic Unions.”

“The panel was focused on how people who are elected to positions in democratic unions continue to maintain that rank-and-file control,” Kask said. “I spoke about ILWU traditions and principles and that those of us elected to positions of leadership are just stewards of offices that belong to the membership. As leaders, our role is to bring people along and train our replacements so that the union continues to be strong and democracy continues in our union.”

Young workers rising

Tyler Rasmussen from the Local 23 Young Workers Committee spoke on the “Young Workers Rising” panel with included baristas from Starbucks Workers United and two worker organizers who work for the Naujawan Support Network based in Toronto. Rasmussen said that on Friday morning, they spoke to a standing-room-only crowd, and covered a series of topics including:

• Why are young people getting involved in the labor movement?
• How do young workers engage with older workers and how does the generational gap play into this?
• How do social movements and social issues relate to young workers and your organizing?
• How is the atmosphere for young workers in an established union workplace versus a new union workplace?

Rasmussen said he emphasized the importance of building strong support from the active membership and pensioners for young workers’ committees.

“During the panel, I wanted to highlight the reasons the Local 23 Young Workers Committee has been so successful and the importance of the YWC to the ILWU,” he said.

Longshore unity

Another highlight of the conference was a breakout session for longshore workers that was attended by members of ILWU and the International Longshoremen’s Association. The room was filled to capacity. “I think there were about 90 of us there,” Grove said. “We got to talking about the differences and similarities between the ILWU and the ILA. It gave rank-and-filers from both unions a chance to sit down and talk and created a bond between us. If we strengthen that bond, how much stronger could we be?”

Taking action

Members emerged from the experience at Labor Notes with a renewed commitment to strengthening the ILWU and extending solidarity to workers outside of the ILWU. Young workers, in particular, emerged from the weekend with renewed commitments to taking concrete actions on member-to-member education programs, outreach and activities to create and maintain social cohesion in their locals and even explore starting Young Worker Committees in their own locals.

“The most important thing I learned at Labor Notes,” said Nicalo Elverston, “is that to make the ILWU stronger, I need to know the ILWU — its history, values and principles, and to know my fellow rank-and-file members. Just as I am growing my understanding of what it means to be a part of the ILWU and where it comes from, I hope to continue to grow the bonds forged at Labor Notes among my Local 23 Young Worker troop.”