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ILA Joins with ILWU and Teamsters In Agreement to Protect Union Jobs At America's Ports
ILA Joins with ILWU and Teamsters In
Agreement to Protect Union Jobs At America's Ports
LAS VEGAS, NV. (June 28, 2001) - ILA President John Bowers told
thousands of cheering Teamsters delegates here at their union's International
Convention in Las Vegas that his union, along with the West Coast Longshore
Union, would join with the Teamsters on a unity organizing campaign to
"deliver a powerful message that anything that moves in and out of our
ports will be done 100 percent union." The leaders of the three unions- Mr.
Bowers of the ILA; James Spinoza, President of the International Longshore
Workers Union (ILWU) and James Hoffa, President of the Teamsters - addressed
Teamster Convention delegates on their joint organizing campaign to unionize
Port Drivers throughout North America and to protect each other's jurisdiction
to ensure that North America's ports are "wall-to-wall union."
After ILA President Bowers declared the his union was "ready to forge this
new partnership with the Teamsters and ILWU to achieve a bright and prosperous
future for our respective membership" and the three International
Presidents stood at center stage in the packed convention hall with raised hands
joined together, a resolution supporting Teamster efforts to organize port
drivers was approved by delegates.
Each union pledged to honor and respect each other's jurisdiction.
Teamster delegates loudly applauded Mr. Bowers when he also told them that the
ILA joined the Teamsters in fighting expansion of the North American Free Trade
Agreement which will allow unsafe Mexican trucks and poorly paid and
unrepresented Mexican truckers to operate freely in the U.S., in direct
competition with Teamsters.
"The ILA will not handle these unsafe trucks at any piers we work,"
Mr. Bowers declared to the supportive audience.
The ILA leader also thanked the Teamsters for their ongoing support of the ILA's
Charleston Five. He thanked Teamsters Port Director George Cashman for attending
and speaking at the rally in support of the Charleston Five which was held on
June 9 in Columbia, South Carolina.
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