Dear Greg,
While we are grateful to be working the Nordana once again, we are still plagued by the fallout of the protest.
Originally, nine men were arrested and charged with simple trespassing. These men were recently in court, and we are happy to report that these charges will be dropped in 120 days provided there are no further incidences with the police and these men sponsor a blood drive for the American Red Cross. We plan to sponsor the largest blood drive ever in our area.
The criminal charges filed by the State Attorney General are still pending. It is expected that we may see some movement in these cases by the end of September. Our legal defense fund has been very successful, thus far, but we are continuing to raise the necessary funds to finance a proper defense. As you know, there are five men facing criminal indictments.
The non-Union company has also filed a civil lawsuit against the two locals and its presidents, including myself. We were not overly concerned about the lawsuit until there was a motion to amend the lawsuit to name as additional defendants, 27 longshoremen.
Our legal department is outraged by this new development and has filed a series of charges with the National Labor Relations Board for retaliation against the union for protected concerted activities under the law.
Let me just say, we are not discouraged by the issues still confronting us. We will continue to defend our jobs if it cost us our lives. We have retained our jobs and we will be successful with these cases that are still in court. We thank the IDC for their support and continued interest in our situation. We are ready to reciprocate at anytime.
Yours in solidarity,
Ken Riley
