PCPA Executive Board Meeting & 31st ILWU Convention
Sunday, April 30, 2000 the PCPA Executive Board convened at the Mallory Hotel in
Portland, Oregon at 9:00 AM. Our resolution for Port to Port Conventions was
accepted for discussion at the Pacific Coast Pensioners Association Convention
to be held at the Cathedral Hill Hotel, San Francisco, CA on Sept. 11, 12 13,
2000. All ILWU Pensioners are invited and encouraged to attend. Al Perisho, Tony
Salcido and their wives (Local 13) were thanked for their excellent reports on
the Cuban trip and we voted to reimburse them $500 for school supplies they
distributed there. We also donated $1000 to ILA Local 1422 in Charlston SC who
are struggling against scab workers in that port. We adjourned for lunch and to
attend the opening of the 31st ILWU Convention at the Portland Hilton Hotel at
1:00 PM.
The first item on the Convention Agenda was to raise the salaries of titled
officers: President $92,000; Vice President $88,000; Coast Committeemen $117,000
each. This passed easily. I have been to eight conventions in the last 24 years
and there was more politics involved in this one than in any five of the past
put together. There is going to be a struggle for the Presidency. Nominations
are: James Spinosa (current vice president) to run against Brian McWilliams; Bob
McEllrath running unopposed for vice-president; Joe Ibarra running unopposed for
secretary-treasurer; California Coast Committeeman, Ray Ortiz, Local 13
Wilmington against Eddie Gutierrez, Local 34 San Francisco; Pacific NW Coast
Committeeman, Leal Sundet Local 8 Portland against Joe Wenzl, Local 19 Seattle.
Subjects discussed at the Caucus following the Convention included problems
of fair treatment of minorities in view of recent legislation passed in the
Pacific Coast States; the "for life" medical is one big hot hot issue;
Job injuries and the Harbor Workers Act which is not being adhered to by some
employers and the concerns of small ports who feel they are being overwhelmed by
ports with more votes.
I wish to mention and thank members of Seattle ILWU Pension Club who
attended:
Rudy Martinez, Betty Hill, Bob Rogers, Mr. & Mrs. Ted Hansen, Mr. & Mrs.
Russ Alexander, Mr. & Mrs. Lee Anderson, Shirley McCabe, Dallas Delay and
Mark Downs,.and Mrs. Laura Botler from the Ladies Auxiliary, Local 19.
Respectfully submitted,
Paul S. McCabe
Delegate, Local 19 Pensioners' Club
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