San Francisco Local 10 longshore workers have been steaming hot since the day after last year’s Bloody Thursday holiday, ten months ago. That’s when steady crane operators refused to hatchtend and insisted that PMA companies hire hatchtenders like they do in other West Coast ports. The companies responded by firing the crane operators, causing a port shutdown. They threatened Local 10 with an injunction and then pleaded for a “dialogue’ with us through local negotiations.
As this struggle continued to simmer hallmen too realized that longshore workers in this port, mainly people of color, were treated differently than any other port on the Coast when it comes to job assignment. We thought that was settled in the victorious ‘34 Maritime Strike with the hiring hall – “and the men shall be free to pick their job” i. e. no more shape-ups. And industry travel which is given to every local on the Coast is denied to Local 10. Is it any wonder that our members are fired up?! We demand equality, parity with the rest of the Coast, Now!
The April 20 membership meeting was the largest, longest and most spirited in years with some 400 “A” members in attendance. Belatedly Local 10 found out that PMA had tried to prevent Local 10 from holding this critical 24 hour Stop Work meeting by getting an injunction. Agenda points included the upcoming Convention and Caucus resolutions and the report and discussion on local negotiations. Rank-and-file members, especially our younger, newer members, got up one after another to express 1) anger at PMA’s stalling tactics in local negotiations 2) support for the union’s demand for parity with the Coast and 3) a commitment to do whatever it takes to win. The meeting adjourned with an exhuberant air of unity and militancy.
A couple of days later the PMA held an ex parte (without the union present) arbitration arguing that Local 10 was using economic pressure to get what’s not in the contract and what we couldn’t get in local negotiations. That’s a bald-faced lie! It’s all in the contract. And PMA companies know they are violating Section 8.43- “no favoritism or discrimination in the hiring or dispatching or employment of any longshoremen”; Section 10- Organization of Gangs, Gang Sizes and Manning and Methods of Dispatching; Section 13- Discrimination; Section 14- Cranes.
The Local PMA Arbitrator Sutliff ruled that the union was in violation of the contract by 1) coercing steadymen to quit their jobs and return to the hiring hall 2) unilaterally ordering an end to the unsafe practice of “doubling” on jobs. Now let’s see Mr. Sutliff go to Berth 5 (where he arbitrated the Neptune Jade beef a few years ago) and observe how safely a “doubling” toppick driver handles the radioactive cargo there. Clearly the military disagrees with him because they don’t allow “doublers” to work ammo. Remember the ‘44 explosion which killed 320 mostly black navy longshoremen at Port Chicago.
Yes, there is coercion and intimidation taking place but it is the companies that are the culprits. They’ve threatened lawsuits, jail and fines if the steady crane operators don’t return. The PMA (and the arbitrator agreed) called this a concerted action. It was the crane operators that asked the union to represent them in fighting the hatchtending beef. It wasn’t the union coercing or forcing unwilling members. That’s PMA’s BS! Union officials bent over backwards to accomodate the employers, even announcing that coming back to the hall was “voluntary” and our stopping “doubling” was deemed in violation of the contract by the arbitrator.
On April 24 Coast Arbitrator Kagel upheld the Area Arbitrator’s ruling on the steadymen issue, but wisely declined to rule on the question of “no doubling”. It was only after PMA argued that the steadymen’s return to the hall was overwhelmingly effective (90 out of 135 crane operators and 9.43 steadymen have signed in at the hall) that Kagel ruled in their favor. Local 10 members continue to hold the line for the most part. It’s time to implement “An injury to one is an injury to all” to win WHAT WE WANT:
Now PMA is going outside the contract and trying to get an injunction against us in federal court, using the same argument that they did with the arbitrators. It is important for the membership to defend our union just as we successfully fended off PMA’s legal attack against us three years ago in the Neptune Jade case. Local 10 members can show their support by filling up the courtroom 2 P. M. on Friday April 28 and if necessary the street outside. Federal District Court is located at 450 Golden Gate Ave.; 19th floor; San Francisco.
Support for our cause is building. ILA Local 1422 sent a fax to President Thibeaux offering assistance. With the Caucus and Convention coming up in a few days support will be readily available from other longshore locals and ILWU divisions. We want a signed local agreement before the Caucus convenes. If the Longshore Division of the ILWU is truly a coastwide union with a coastwide contract, then the Caucus will back us with whatever it takes to achieve parity for Local 10 with the rest of the Coast.
