Wcs Oct 02Color

Organized 1885 Official Organ of the Sailors' Union of the Pacific Volume LXV No. 10 SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA Friday, October 25, 2002 Taft-Hartley Act imposed after employer locks out West Coast longshore workers Labor movement in solidarity with ILWU; Union charges collusion between government and PMA; Workers accused of slowdown n October 16, U.S. Dis- ment for a new contract. Alsups the ILWU to accept concessions The labor movement across ILWU position trict Judge William decision followed a temporary that the employer association de- the country and around the world ILWU International President Alsup invoked the pro- restraining order issued on Oc- manded at the bargaining table. reacted angrily at the James Spinosa, in a bulletin to his visions of the anti-Union Taft- tober 8, which compelled water- O The ILWU stated that the in- governments action. membership said: Hartley Act and issued an injunc- front employers to open up 29 vocation of Taft-Hartley was the This is the first time in the Brothers and Sisters: tion that prohibits strikes or lock- affected West Coast ports and product of collusion between the history of the United States that These are troubled times for outs during an 80-day cooling allow longshoremen to return federal government and the a president has let an employer us all. Our jobs, our healthcare, off while representatives of the to work. PMA and that the lockout was lock out workers in an extended our pensions and our union are International Longshore and The government sought the on the verge of collapsing and, quest to undermine the workers under attack by our employers Warehouse Union (ILWU) and original injunction after the 11- thus, there was no need for in- unioncreating a phony crisis and the Bush administration Pacific Maritime Association day PMA lockout, which began junctive relief. Both arguments and then rewarded that working together. (PMA) attempt to reach agree- on September 27, failed to force were rejected by Judge Alsup. employers action with government intervention, said AFL- Our employer group, the Pa- CIO Secretary-Treasurer Rich- cific Maritime Association, is so Jones Act waived during waterfront ard Trumka. intent on breaking our union they have risked an economically Paddy Crumlin, National Sec- damaging lockout for nearly two —Maritime Administration objects retary of the Maritime Union of dispute weeks, With Bushs help they Australia stated: The compa- slapped on a Taft-Hartley injunc- The U.S. Customs Service, nies that make up the PMA must Upon being apprised of this However, the issue has not been tion. But they have not broken kowtowing to foreign-flag inter- understand that their actions unilateral action, Maritime Ad- resolved to the satisfaction of the the ILWU. against the ILWU effectively at- ests, waived the Jones Act on the ministrator, Captain William Sailors Union. SUP president tacks dockers and seafarers else- When we opened contract ne- West Coast after the PMA lock- Schubert, immediately notified Gunnar Lundeberg stated, For where and in particular Korea, gotiations with PMA May 13 the out of the ILWU was supplanted Robert Bonner, U.S. Customs our government to waive the Japan and Australia. Kenji employers hit us with an insulting by the Taft-Hartley injunction. Service Commissioner to stop Jones Act to accommodate the in- Yasuda, chairman of the proposal-slashing healthcare, Under the Customs non-en- this practice. In his letter to terests of foreign-flag steamship Zenkoki-Kowan (Japanese gutting our grievance process forcement policy, cargo landed Bonner, dated October 9, Cap- companies who are also engaged dockworkers union) said that his and cutting jobs. Your Negotiat- prior to October 10 in ports af- tain Schubert stated, Section 27 in a labor dispute with an Ameri- organization would fight with ing Committee firmly and unani- fected at the time of the lockout of the Merchant Marine Act of can Union (ILWU) is outrageous. port workers and seafarers and which were not manifested 1920, otherwise known as the Customs cannot be allowed to dis- around the globe. See Taft-Hartley Act for that port, were permitted to Jones Act, specifically prohib- regard a critical U.S. maritime be moved to their intended U.S. its moves of this nature: No statute because anti-Union ele- contd. on page 3 destination by another vessel of merchandise, including mer- ments direct it to do so. Lunde- the same shipping line. chandise owned by the United berg added, The SUP will con- Military urges swift reauthorization of State government...shall be tinue to investigate this matter as transported by water, or by land there have been several moreas Maritime Security Program and water...between point in the yet undocumentedclaims that General John Handy, United States Air Force, commander-in- United States, including Dis- the Jones Act continues to be vio- chief of the United States Transportation Command (TRANSCOM) tricts, Territories, and posses- lated. told a House Panel this month that Maritime Security Program sions thereof embraced within (MSP) reauthorization now is a national security imperative of the Second class postage paid at San Francisco, CA (USPS 675-180) As the West Coast Sailors goes the coastwise laws...in any ves- to press, the situation continues highest magnitude. sel than a vessel built and docu- to develop. The Japanese gov- Testifying before the Special Oversight Panel on the Merchant mented under the laws of the ernment has asked the United Marine on October 8, General Handy said that MSP is a cost- United States and owned by per- States to allow Japanese ships effective program that assures guaranteed access to required com- son who are citizens of the temporary cabotage at West mercial U.S.-flag shipping and U.S. merchant mariners, when United States... Waivers of this Coast ports to clear a large num- needed. The alternative to MSP is, ultimately, reliance on foreign- Act are permitted only in the ber of stranded containers. flag vessels manned by foreign crews during a crisis. interest of national defense (note The Maritime Administration In addition to support the nations commercial wartime sealift proc. 46 App. U.S.C.1). The opposes this request and has so capacity, General Handy stated that MSP is absolutely essential Maritime Administration does informed the White House. In in maintaining a trained labor pool needed to crew Department of not believe that these current cir- addition, the National Industrial Defense vessels. cumstances meet the definition Transportation League has re- of the interest of national de- General Handy also pledged to the Panel, chaired by Representa- quested Commissioner Bonner fense, and hereby requests that tive Duncan Hunter (R-CA), that he would work personally with to waive the Jones Act for 90 the Customs Service instruct all the Office of Management and Budget on the funding of a reautho- days at West Coast ports for all of its personnel to enforce the rized program. foreign-flag vessels. provisions of the Jones Act. See General Handys Testimony...contd. on page 11 VOTE NOVEMBER 5: LABOR’S RECOMMENDATIONS ON PAGES 5-9 ESU NEWS: PAGES 8-9 Page 2 WEST COAST SAILORS Friday, October 25, 2002 SUP Honor Roll Voluntary contributions from the membership to the following funds: Organization/ Wall of Honor (San Pedro Merchant General Fund Marine Memorial) *In lieu of dues increase. Joe Amey ........................ 40.00 Gunnar Lundeberg ........... 50.00 Charles Butler ................. 10.00 Leonard Millsap ............... 20.00 Edgardo Franco ............... 20.00 Frank Portanier ............... 20.00* J.Bill Minster .................. 20.00 Mario Ramella ................. 50.00 Matthew Montalbo............ 10.00 Rich Reed ....................... 20.00* Duane Nash..................... 20.00 Thomas Riley .................. 20.00* Ricky Pangan .................. 20.00 Grant Thorne .................. 10.00 Rich Reed ....................... 50.00 Michael Soper.................. 20.00 Political Fund Jack Swain ...................... 20.00 Brian Wynn .................... 50.00 Robin Colonas ................. 50.00 Douglas Crute .................. 50.00 West Coast Ed Drake ........................ 20.00 Sailors Steven Foster ................... 20.00 Ove Akesson .................... 25.00 Gary Gelfgren in memory of N.G. Karl Andersen ................. 25.00 Gelfgren ......................... 50.00 Archie Aki ...................... 30.00 Philip Howell ................... 50.00 Thomas Basford ............... 25.00 Sid Idris ......................... 40.00 Donald Bohle ................... 30.00 Jon Johnson .................... 30.00 Douglas Crute .................. 25.00 A. Kardinal .................... 100.00 Dan Dinsmore .................. 25.00 Kingsley ......................... 20.00 Robert Eveland ................ 20.00 Don Kruse ...................... 20.00 Mamoru Fukano .............. 25.00 Ray Laplante ................... 30.00 Gary Gelfgren ................. 50.00 Larry Loe ....................... 10.00 John Gladstone ................ 25.00 Jose Lopez ...................... 20.00 Rex Harper ..................... 25.00 John Lundborg ............... 100.00 Paul Herriot .................... 25.00 Gunnar Lundeberg ........... 30.00 Philip Howell ................... 25.00 Rudy Menchaca .............. 100.00 Don Kruse ...................... 20.00 Don OHalloran ............... 20.00 Alfred Loschi ................... 25.00 Ricky Pangan .................. 20.00 Takeshi Masukawa ............ 20.00 Donald Persian................

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