ILWU Rally

A rally was held at the port of Oakland Thursday June 27 in support of the International Longshoreman’s and Warehousemen’s Union (ILWU). Their contract with the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA) expires Monday July 1. So far, contract negotiations have not been fruitful, and if there is a work slowdown after Monday’s deadline, the PMA is threatening a lockout. James P. Hoffa, President of the Teamsters Union, offered his support at Thursday’s rally. Hoffa said, “A lockout of the ILWU is a lockout of the Teamsters.” Further support was pledged by Ken Riley, President of local 1422 of the International Longshoreman’s Association (which represents dockworkers on the East Coast), Kees Marges, Secretary of Dockers Section of theInternational Transport Workers Federation of Great Britain (http://www.itf.org.uk), and Londer Rakin of the Panama Pilots Union, to name a few.

The consensus among the speakers was that the corporations were attempting to use 9/11 as an issue to force major concessions from the unions, for example an end to the ILWU’s hiring hall. Hoffa reminded the audience of five hundred workers, “It was union people going up those stairs at the World Trade Center while the corporate leaders were coming down.” According to the ILWU, the Bush administration has offered a veiled threat that should the Union go on strike the administration would intervene in the name of national defense.