1. Pensions - I do not understand why the union is considering a scaled pension program. Should not our forefathers who worked and fought for our current prosperity not be entitled to as much retirement money as a current retiree? Yes. The current offering for past retired longshoreman is not acceptable. In my humble opinion.
2. Jurisdiction - What is this a joke? 40 drivers for the entire La/Lb port? There is no way that forty drivers would be able to handle that kind of work load. And what is this junk about either side can cancel this provision with 30 days notice? Does this sound like a empty promise or what? Imagine this : the contract is signed the PMA supposedly puts into the works a training program for these intraport drivers, magically runs out of funds for the project, and six months to a year later gives the ILWU written notice to cancel the program. Leaving the ILWU with no greater jurisdiction than it had before and possibly less jobs.
3. Widows and Orphans - I believe the widows should get 100% of there husbands/wives retirement. The orphans should get 100% of the father’s/mother’s retirement until the age of 26.
4. Health care - The union should confront this subject diligently and with great fervor. The union should not accept any kind of HMO (as they are the devil incarnate, just ask Joe) and should look to alternative plans that allow Longshoreman to seek the best medical advice and treatment available without having to have it ok’ed by another organization. The ILWU should also strive for alternative medicine being covered : chiropractors, psychologists, etc.
5. Raises - A couple extra dollars an hour never hurt anybody.
6. Dispatch - The union hiring hall is the strength and cornerstone of this union. While dispatch may be antiquated and slightly slow it serves it’s purpose and is no business of the PMA’s. If dispatch were to be computerized it should be only to assist the dispatcher and make his/her job more efficient. The computers would be there to make it harder to chisel, double back (when one is not supposed to), and other wise cheat the dispatch system. While at the same time making it easier for the dispatcher to hand out jobs and rotate through the hours/numbers, making it so no longshoreman is late to the job due to dispatch.
7. Safety - Is the PMA nuts? They expect us to work within the dangerous environment we do (any one of us could lose our life at any time), all the while ’hustling’, and now they expect us to work in these conditions and not be able to stop work if the conditions are obviously unsafe? This goes to show once again PMA’s disdain for this Union and it’s members.
Double backing - Is it wrong for a man/woman to work 5 to 6 shifts in 3 days? No. Is it wrong for a man/woman to work 10 to 12 shifts one week to take the next week off? No. Is it wrong for a man/woman to work 8 to 14 shifts every week only to feed his/her own pocket? Yes. Is it wrong for a man/woman to work steady for a company and then come back to the hall to work 3 or more shifts? Most definitely. Is it wrong for a man/woman to double back in front of another union brother/sister who has yet to get out that day? Yes. So is double backing good? No. Is it bad? No. Double backing is a option that union members have and it is also a responsibility they have. It offers freedom for some and others it just allows them to justify their own greed. So as with any other option in life, one must use it responsibly as to not hurt others with their actions while still being able to provide for himself.
Casuals - This is a subject that I have yet to hear about from anyone in the ILWU. The casuals are one of many assets that this union has yet I do not see the union actively trying to protect it. Casuals could easily be used to break this wonderful union. Take into account that history has shown that when a employer wishes to employ scab labor to break a union the employer is almost always able to guarantee the safety of the scab. Then imagine this : The ILWU goes on strike, the PMA waits it out for a few weeks and then devises some way to ensure the safety of all casuals working the ports ( as casuals are not union members it would be plausible the PMA could do this). This would be unwise and unmoral but I would wager that some casuals would work (myself not included with such scum) and as they are already trained in most area’s of work on the ports, there would be no training period. With over 4,000 casuals alone in the La/Lb port it could be feasible that operations could resume with this type of scenario. While this scenario may be far-fetched I would think that the ILWU would want to protect it self from any such risk and want to include the casual work force as union members, while not changing our status as part-time workers with no benefits and no guarantee of work (our union dues would then have to be less than full time members maybe 3% to 5% of our paycheck).
Laziness (aka The Deal) - As I work for Local 13 as a casual I have been exposed to the “creative relief” or “the deal”, something this local is well known for. I go to the casual hall and often hear ’I was screwed they only gave me a hour lunch and I worked all the way until the end of the shift!’ or ’I can’t believe the boss didn’t allow us to flip’ or ’This job isn’t so great there are better ones out there’ or other like statements. Every time I hear these statements I cringe and begin to laugh at these type of people (greed just exudes from them). In my eyes we are there to work not to get deals if we get them they should be earned and not given out just because. I enjoy every day I am privileged to work for the ILWU and bewildered by those that aren’t. As a union we should take pride in our work not our lack of it.
Joe - I am of the opinion that Joe is the greatest obstacle this union has faced in quite a few years. So we should use this time to unite and show solidarity as to crush and surmount this obstacle and show the working world that the blue collar worker will no longer be down trodden upon.
Thank you for your time and your mind.
UNITED WE STAND, DIVIDED WE FALL !!!
Jonathan Lamborn
P4069 La/Lb harbor
A casual with no family in the union, but hopefully many brothers and sisters.
P.S. - As I am sure that the members of the PMA and even Joe himself read this forum. May the union I hope to be apart of in the future stand by me if I receive retribution (i.e.. delayed registration) from the PMA over my thoughts, feelings, and opinions. Thank you.
