Longshoremen storm Wash. port over labor dispute

[rsmith6621]

http://news.yahoo.com/longshoremen-storm-wash-port-over-labor-dispute-152446496.html

LONGVIEW, Washington (AP) — Hundreds of Longshore workers stormed the Port of Longview, overpowered security guards, damaged rail cars and dumped grain at the center of a labor dispute that has spread to Seattle and Tacoma ports, officials said Thursday.

Six guards were detained for a couple of hours after 500 or more Longshoremen broke down gates about 4:30 a.m. and smashed windows in the guard shack, said Longview Police Chief Jim Duscha.

No one was hurt, and nobody has been arrested. Most of the protesters returned to their union hall after cutting brake lines and spilling grain from car at the EGT terminal, he said.

A court hearing was scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Thursday in Tacoma, in which a judge is expected to consider alleged violations by the union of a previous restraining order.

[blindpig]

1. Good for them.

Ya gotta make the Man understand and the only thing he understands is his wallet.

[HockeyMom]

2. My Dad was a Longshoreman

Ah, I could tell stories about what they did in the past. Maybe we NEED to return to those days. K&R

[Lasher]

3. That's what we need to do.

Notice the judges are always on the companies' side against the unions, just like in the good old days.

[TeamsterDem]

4. Love the Longshoremen. Love em. nt

[ChandlerJr]

5. FTA: The International Longshore and Warehouse Union

believes it has the right to work at the facility, but the company has hired a contractor that's staffing a workforce of other union laborers.

Anybody know who the other union involved is? This looks like a worker vs worker battle not a worker vs owner fight.

How did they get them fighting with each other, it's an old trick and they fell for it.

[pscot]

6. The ILWU is pretty unhappy about what

the operating engineers are doing. Here's a letter they hand delivered to Operating Engineers local 701:


Dear Brothers and Sisters of IUOE Local 701, We are the members of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU). In 2006, IUOE Local 701 had a labor dispute at the Port of Portland’s Terminal 4. The ILWU refused to cross Local 701′s picket line. We forced several ships to stay idle to help you get the agreement you needed.

Today, a multinational corporation called EGT Development is trying to use Local 701 to undermine the ILWU, and it is hurting your relationships with other unions. For generations, the ILWU has worked all West Coast docks and grain export terminals. We are constantly honing our safety procedures because grain is very dangerous work. Many of our people have died, including one man who fell to his death in a grain elevator just a couple of years ago in Vancouver.

EGT’s collusion with Local 701 is already hurting your union. Recently, Mark Holliday and Nelda Wilson signed a contract with EGT to take away the work that we do in every other grain export terminal in the Northwest. The officers at Local 701 will try and make you believe that getting jobs at any cost is a good idea. But already the backlash against 701 has been swift, severe and will be long-lasting unless 701 stops colluding with the employer to undermine another union. Just Google “701″ and “EGT” and you will see that other union members feel betrayed and disgusted that Local 701 is dirtying itself by colluding with EGT against another union.

Just last week, the Oregon AFL-CIO Executive Board passed a resolution condemning the actions of Local 701 and called these actions “scab labor.” We know Local 701′s collusion with EGT is a decision that was made above your head, but you don’t need to stand for it. We are here today to ask you, as union brothers and sisters, to refuse to assist in the union-busting efforts of EGT and to honor our jurisdiction….just as we did in 2006 when IUOE 701 had a labor dispute at Terminal 4. Someday, you will need to support of other unions to keep your own union job secure.

It’s not worth it to sell your union’s credibility and support from other unions forever just for a handful of jobs today. Remember, solidarity goes both ways! In 1934, our grandfathers fought and died to form our union. We have supported other unions, including yours, for many decades since that time. An injury to one is an injury to all.

Signed,
Your brothers and sisters of the ILWU
http://www.ilwu.org/?p=2736