Walt,
While you might consider this to be “ranting, raving, and mudslinging” this is the only place allot of members of the ILWU can get info and voice their opinion about what is going on in scores of topics that effect us all. No one has broken any bylaws of the ILWU and no a computer terminal is not to be confused with campaigning outside the Union Hall. Allot of extremely important information and the ways and means to get more pass through this list-bot. And we have Richard and Jon to thank for that. Why should the truth about ANYTHING that is going on in this Union be kept secret or behind closed doors?? What are we afraid of?? Personally I am terrified of what these so called Union men that pass for officers and what they have done in the dark that have enormous ramifications over members and their families. Pensioners have lost benefits, locals jobs, members the ability to participate in benefits that are enjoyed by everyone else, and more could (and will) happen in the future. Not to mention the times they have refused to follow caucus mandates in the past. I’ll tell you I am going to look to see as Mulcahy if correct (and I have the sneaky feeling he is) in that the records of language concerning benefits for life have been changed to back some politicians view of how OUR HISTORY should be. Winston Churchill in the last days of WW11 was talking with his generals and the generals were concerned about how people in the future would view what they had done. Churchill said. . “History will be kind to us for I intend to write it”. Is this being done by us about us??
In my opinion that list-bot has been the greatest thing that has happened to the ILWU in along time. So what if people “mudsling”. There have been times when what I thought was the truth and posted it and was corrected in my mistakes. I speak my mind here, and sometimes I have the whole thing wrong. No one is the last word in what the truth is.
When was the last time you have heard anyone running for office in the ILWU talk about a plan to better the UNION?? Seems to me either I hear excuses for what they (the incumbents) did or attacks on the incumbents (from the challengers). The last one to my memory was Dave Arian the FIRST time he ran for President.
In my opinion there is little difference between Spinosa or McWilliams (as the old joke goes they’ll both steal your money[or benefits] but Brian will help you look for it!!), unfortunately no one is running against McEllrath (which would be good for democracy if for nothing else), I haven’t heard from anyone that has been happy with Ortiz, and nothing about Ibarra. And only great things about Hoshijo. This gives the rank and file the opportunity to express their views on things and the candidates. I for one am not going to shut the hell up.
If this Union is in a state of turmoil, then we have ourselves to blame along with the people we elect. And if anything has been the cause it has been our inability to deal with the truth about ourselves. Any derisiveness we have, i. e. , Local 13 vs. the rest, Hawaii vs. the mainland, longshore division vs. everyone, etc. , etc. , is something WE have created. NOT ANYONE ELSE. And by the rank and file having a voice like this could go along way to healing these real and not so real issues.
Tim35181
If you believe in free speech then speak!
