The Real Lockout Story

5 Dockworkers Dead This Summer Due To Shipping Companies’ Speed-up on Docks

Whipped up by “strike hysteria,” shipping on the West Coast broke records this summer as major corporations stockpiled imported products. As a result, the major shipping companies imposed a brutal speed-up of work that put many dockworkers in danger but generated huge company profits. Five Longshore union members died in separate incidents as a result of this speed-up. (Check out the detailed account below – rated R). While bargaining a new contract, union leaders called for a “work safely” campaign to insure that proper training and protection of health and life comes before record-breaking profits. The big shipping companies retaliated against the dockworker safety campaign and against negotiation for jobs security by locking out all Longshore in every port on the West Coast.

The Companies Iron Grip Lockout is Cracking! Show Our Support On the Picket-line

As of Friday 10/4, several major shipping companies have started breaking the lockout and calling for Longshore union work in our and other states. Our solidarity is pressing some shippers to break ranks with the big shipping company group (PMA) lockout, and pay union members to unload. Let’s keep up the picket line unity at the locked out gates and we can win this soon.

In Seattle , the JwJ Organizing Committee decided to adopt-a-picket line. We adopted Pier 46, west of Seahawk Stadium (700 Block of S. Alaskan Way). Longshore workers rotate picket-line duty so we’ll get to see everybody at one line.

In Tacoma , ILWU 23 appreciates supporters visiting with coffee, donuts, and high spirits and solidarity but doesn’t need extra picketers. Let them know that Jobs with Justice sent you. Here are the picket lines still active: YWUT Terminal at Corner of Lincoln & Port of Tacoma Rd and Evergreen Terminal at the corner of East 11^th St. & Port of Tacoma Rd.

In Bellingham , Olympia , and Hoquiam, no picket lines are set up yet since no ships are docking at these locations yet.

We will let you know the status of Longview as soon as we hear.

Stop Bush From Forcing More Deadly Speed-up on Dockworkers

The shipping companies have tried every means to use the federal government to undermine Longshore workers negotiating a fair union contract. First, shippers and retail corporations called for Bush to bring in the US military to replace dockworkers on the job. JwJ activists put these companies on the defensive with national protests culminating with Payless Shoes agreeing to write to the PMA and the other companies in the WCWC opposing any federal intervention or use of troops. Today we found out that Payless Shoes is pulling out of the WCWC. Now, the other WCWC companies are calling for Bush to invoke the rarely used Taft-Hartley Act to save face for an ineffective lock-out tactic and force Longshore workers back to dangerous speed-up rates at work. The companies are especially desperate to force speed-up work as holiday season approaches. But the companies also don’t want to give dockworkers a fair contract with the right to training and living wage jobs created by new technology especially when laid off because of technology.

Express our opposition to threats that President Bush will force Longshore workers back to work at deadly speed-up rates by invoking the Taft-Hartley Act. The following points need to be stressed:

1. Longshore workers want to work and do not deserve dangerous speed-up conditions. The companies should open up the gates and let them go back to work safely. Taft-Hartley is wrong.

2. Federal Mediation is currently underway. Give it a chance to work. Longshore workers are not on strike, the companies deserve the pressure for this situation. Taft-Hartley is siding with the big shipping companies.

Please call any or all of the following members of Congress at your earliest convenience to make them aware of the above. Washington State Senators and Governor have been supportive of Longshore workers, so thank them and ask them to continue their push for fair negotiations.

Senator Maria Cantwell: 206.224.3441 or 206.220.6400

Senator Patty Murray: 202.224.2621 or 206.553.5545

Representative Norm Dicks: 202.225.5916 or 253.593.6536

Representative Adam Smith: 202.225.8901 or 253.926.6683

Representative Brian Baird: 202.225.3536 or 360.695.6292

Governor Gary Locke: 360.753.6780 or 1.800.562.6000 – wrote letter to Bush opposing troops on docks

President George Bush: 202.456.1111 or 202.456.1414

(See below for more phone numbers if you like working the phones)

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JwJ Protest of Toyota Trying To Undermine Locked-Out Longshore Workers

Tuesday, October 8, 2002
4:30 to 6:00pm
Toyota of Puyallup , 1400 River Road

Toyota is trying to use our U.S. Military to interfere with civil negotiations between Tacoma dockworkers and big shipping companies. Toyota has formed an alliance with other giant corporations called the “West Coast Waterfront Coalition” (WCWC) to protect billions in corporate profits made from imported products. That “coalition” is pressing George Bush to threaten sending federal troops to take over the jobs of Tacoma dockworkers, members of the International Longshore & Warehouse Union (ILWU) unless dockworkers agree to give up job security and rights to have a union when technology changes the work. The peaceful protest will be fun and lively. Bring your Toyota if you have one to let them know that we are customers.

Call Toyota Customer Service 1-800-331-4331, 6 AM - 6 PM , Monday – Friday

And email management Hiroshi Okuda, Chairman: at www.toyota.com or write: 19001 S. Western Ave. Dept. H200 , Torrance , CA 90509 .

Tell Toyota No Military Interference in Our Backyard!

· Stop Pushing the Federal Government To Interfere With Civil Negotiations!

· Get Out of the West Coast Waterfront Coalition!

· Let Workers And Employers Negotiate Fairly!

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“No Taft-Hartley Calls” to the following would also be helpful:

Alaska Representative Don Young: 202.225.5765 – Chairman of the House Transportation Committee.

Alaska Senator Ted Stevens: 202.224.3004

Alaska Senator Frank Murkowski: 202.224.6665

Massachusetts Senator Ted Kennedy: 202.224.4543 – Senator Kennedy is a strong labor ally.

South Dakota Senator Tom Daschle: 202.224.2321 – Senate Majority Leader

S. Carolina Senator Ernest Hollings: 202.224.6121– Chairman of the Senate Commerce and Transportation Committee.

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5 Dockworkers Dead

In the last six months there have been five fatalities among International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) waterfront workers, each more horrific than the last.

On Sept. 3 ILWU Local 26 watchman Rudy Acosta was run over and killed by a top handler at the Pacific Container Terminal operated by SSA in Long Beach
On July 23 Richie Lopez, Jr. of ILWU Local 46 in Port Hueneme was run over by a heavy forklift.
On June 1 ILWU Local 14 member Dick Peters was checking the hatches of a ship being loaded in the Port of Eureka . No one saw what happened, but apparently the ship-board gantry crane swung and crushed Peters against the ship itself.
On March 15, Mario Gonzalez, a member of ILWU Local 26, was operating a huge mill that shreds cars into scrap metal at Hugo Neu-Prolers’ facility at the Port of Los Angeles . The machine jammed and Gonzalez went in to fix it. But the hydraulic-powered, several-ton door closed on his chest, killing him.
A day earlier on March 14 foreman John Prohoroff of ILWU Local 94 was routinely preparing a ship to be worked at SSA’s Long Beach terminal. The line on one of the ship’s cranes broke, dropping a 3,000-pound metal ring 30 feet and hitting Prohoroff. He was rushed to the hospital where he was pronounced dead.

“PMA’s constant push for more productivity is making a bad problem even worse,” said ILWU International President Jim Spinosa. “The docks are already dangerously congested, but during these negotiations several terminal operators tried to raise their posted speed limits from 10 or 15 miles an hour to 25. But even with safe limits posted, none of the equipment we are given to drive have speedometers. Accidents occur all too often and that is why one of the demands we have on the table in these negotiations is to have speedometers put in all the power industrial trucks on the docks.” For more info, go to: http://www.ilwu.org

Washington State Jobs with Justice
PO Box 9662 , Seattle , WA 98109-0662

Phone: 206-441-4969 Fax: 206-441-5059

Email: wsjwj@igc.org

Check out our new website: www.wsjwj.org