OAKLAND, Calif. – A U. S. District Court ruled on Thursday that International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 10 in Northern California must get its crane operators back to work at the Port of Oakland.
ILWU crane operators have engaged in sporadic job actions since last summer in an effort to change the rules under which they work. These job actions have resulted in reduced productivity in Oakland.
According to the Pacific Maritime Association, which sought relief from the court on behalf of shipping lines and terminal operators, cargo has been diverted away from Oakland in recent weeks because the job actions have increased in intensity.
Crane operators at Northern California’s busiest port want a working environment similar to Los Angeles-Long Beach, where ILWU crane drivers have special arrangements with employers. For example, crane operators in Southern California often work four hours on and four hours off each day.
Oakland crane operators said they must perform other tasks each day, such as working the hatches of vessels, when they are not driving the crane.
In order to press their demands, crane operators in Oakland stopped working as “steadymen” for individual employers and returned to the hiring hall. Productivity dropped immediately because terminal operators could not secure a full complement of skilled crane drivers.
Employers termed the resulting actions as “mass resignations” on the part of crane operators.
The PMA brought the matter to arbitration, and the arbitrator, who is appointed jointly by the ILWU and PMA, ruled that the job actions were a violation of the waterfront contract. However, the resignations continued. Officials of Local 10 told the court they did not encourage the job actions.
The U. S. District Court judge stated that courts do not normally interfere in collective bargaining matters, but when the order of an arbitrator is disregarded, there is precedent for the courts to step in.
The court ruling stated that ILWU Local 10 “has an affirmative duty to secure observance of the contract and to end the mass resignations.”
Employers are pleased by the ruling.
“It’s a good decision,” PMA President Joseph Miniace said.
The ILWU, which is holding its national convention in Portland, Ore. , could not immediately be reached for comment.
