Special Longshore Bulletin

ILWU Local 10 Executive Board
23 Jan 2000

PMA’s Northern California Area Manager Jack Suite once contemptuously told a former Local 10 President Larry Wing, “I run this port!” At the January 10 Local negotiations “Sweet Jack” (as he has derisively been tagged on the waterfront) arrogantly dismissed our union’s key demands with a smirk.

• PMA is opposed to Local 10 steadymen working under Section 14 of the PCLCD as they do in LA.
• PMA insists on crane operators doing the hatchtender/signalmen job unlike any other port on the Coast.

On the other key demands “Sweet Jack” so diabolically twisted them that they were rendered meaningless:

• PMA will give us back travel time if we agree to move our dispatch hall to Oakland, in other words no travel time.
• PMA will negotiate a “T” letter on manning if we give them “flexibility”, i. e bend over and forget about manning.
• PMA will negotiate the “order of dispatch” only if we enter into tripartite negotiations with the Walking Bosses, many of whom have engaged in discrimination and favoritism in the assignment of jobs. . . as the PMA is aware of. This is a dead end trap to nowhere.
• PMA is only interested in a day crane board, not on nights and only if they can disregard seniority and order of dispatch. They want to bypass the hall and pick whoever they want for steady crane operator, whereever they want. PMA is saying to hell with the hiring hall.

These negotiations have been dragged on and delayed intentionally by PMA since October, trying to wear us down and create division amongst us. They’re going around boasting that they’ve kicked our butts on the arbitrations on “safety”. PMA only began to bargain in good faith in coastwide negotiations last summer when we took rank-and-file action. Crane operators refused to tend hatch and requested signalmen from the hall. Gangs were fired and ships were not worked, forcing them to drop the hook in the bay. There’s a lesson to be learned here: If the hook doesn’t move, the companies don’t make money. That’s the only thing PMA understands. Then they’ll negotiate collectively. . . . . not side deals. Now is the time for the rank and file of Local 10 to raise our working conditions up to what all other major ports on the Coast already enjoy. Now is the time to stand up and demand equality and an end to discrimination against our Local. Be at our most important union meeting in a long time. Let’s hammer out in unity a program of action to win bread, butter and respect!

Any longshoreman who goes behind the Local’s back by dealing directly with the company violates the oath taken as a condition for “A” registration. Back door, “screw the rest of deals”, only benefits the employers and harms and subverts the efforts of our Local negotiators. Any longshoreman dealing directly with their employer is bypassing the only entity authorized by the PCLCD to bargain and represent steady workers. Longshoremen engaging in this “back door” dealing should be dealt with by Local 10 and the JPLRC and subject to disciplinary action. No meetings, no discussions, no agreements, no personal deals, no favors, nothing. . . unless you have Local officials present and representing both steady longshoremen and the hallmen’s best interest.

We are in themidst of Local negotiations, not personal or company negotiations. Stay united, stay focused on the good of all with the future in mind, or risk disciplinary action.