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Where Do We Go From Here?
Our RUSTY HOOK analysis of the state of
negotiations:
Negotiations are stalled and will go into overtime,
extending the present contract. The strategy of the PMA is to stall. This
is for two main reasons.
1. They are afraid of our strength that comes from all
out support from the Teamsters and the East Coast ILA. plus support from
overseas unions who are eager to take a crack at Bush's attempt to rule
the world. Stalling gives them a slim chance that unity will weaken as
time goes on.
2. The second reason for stalling is their hope that a
new terrorist attack will give Bush an excuse to crack down on all unions.
Reason number 1 is a slim hope because labor is
realizing more and more that unity is the best answer to corporate union
busting. "An Injury To One Is An injury To All." Add to that the
present exposure of corporation fraud and stealing is weakening corporate
power and unity at the very time PMA needs corporate unity and government help.
In line with their stalling strategy, as of June 30, no
settlement has been reached on any of the issues up for negotiation. Most
of the time so far has been spent on health and welfare and that is not
settled. Talk on pensions has reached no conclusion. That's all so far.
The two demands of PMA - technological displacement of checkers and
that local arbitration machinery be dismantled have
not even been touched.
Another maneuver by PMA, organizing a Waterfront
Coalition of large discount houses such as Costco to support PMA demands
is likely to backfire. The Costco’s worry that Christmas cargo will be
delayed. If they want timely shipments they should put pressure on the PMA
to settle now.
The ILWU believes negotiations should follow the guide
lines of the past 50 years in negotiations that has proven beneficial. It
has yielded fair wages, health and welfare, pensions, industrial peace and
continuing profits for shipowners. The only reason for PMA's new, negative
demands is simply to gain more profits at waterfront workers' jobs and
expense. Rampant greed is their only reason and we are now seeing where
that can lead in national uncovering of corporate greed in today's news.
It has become a dangerous national social and economic crisis that may go
on for a long time.
So what do we do? We demand negotiations in the
tradition of the fifty-year pattern since 1948. We stand before unions and
the public as defenders of a positive and constructive labor relations
tradition. Within that pattern we can care for the ongoing needs of
waterfront workers' and waterfront peaceful relations.
Instead the PMA seeks to force the waterfront back to unsettled and
unfair conditions that before 1948. We are a proud union and have a just
cause.
The PMA is greedily trying to throw the waterfront in a
sea of troubles. It is part of the corporate pattern of profits by any and
all means. The sooner they get over the sickness, the sooner we can get
cargo moving.
Looking to the future, we realize the corporations
scheme daily, hourly and in a thousand ways to rob the public, the US
treasury by tax evasion and workers of their wages. We need to support
with real energy in our ILWU organizing campaign if our future is to be
secured. We have to build our union in order to survive. It is no stronger
than its membership. Adding to our membership is adding to our strength.
We must also pay attention to the ballot box. The US
government under the Bush Republican administration, the Congress with its
Republican House and tag-along Democrats plus Supreme Court connivance
both pass and enforce ant-labor laws. They can steal Presidential
elections. The whole mess needs a thorough house cleaning. It is time to
wake up, smell the rot and support and vote for pro-labor candidates!
A BETTER LIFE IS POSSIBLE!
A BETTER LIFE IS NECESSARY! |
