The Longshore Division Coast Committee, ILWU International officers, and Longshore Legislative Action Committee members and Pensioners gathered on May 20-24 for the union’s 2013 Legislative Conference in Washington, D.C.
The goal was to convey the concerns of Longshore Division members to Congress in more than 50 meetings that were scheduled on Capitol Hill during the fourday event.
Key issues
Among the issues discussed were the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund; transportation funding to improve ports and promote union jobs; opposing cuts to Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid; the Food for Peace program; port security issues including the troubled TWIC program (Transit Worker Identification Credential); international trade agreements; challenges facing sugar workers in Hawaii; and the lockout against ILWU members by the foreign-owned grain merchants Marubeni/Columbia in Portland and Mitsui/United in Vancouver, WA.
Discussions & speakers
Before lobbying on Capitol Hill, each day started with speakers and discussions. U.S. Representative Keith Ellison of Minnesota attended the discussion on Tuesday morning to discuss proposed cuts to healthcare and the danger to civil liberties posed by TWIC and background check programs. Ellison Co-Chairs the network of pro-union representatives who belong to the Progressive Caucus.
Controversial trade agreements
A discussion of trade issues, including the latest round of pro-corporate agreements, was reviewed by Brett Gibson of the AFL-CIO, and Lori Wallach and Celeste Drake of Public Citizen. They explained how the proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership deal has been designed just like NAFTA to benefit big business at the expense of workers, consumers and the environment.
Port funding
Representative Nick Joe Rahall of West Virginia was invited to speak Wednesday morning. As the “ranking member” with high seniority serving on the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, he provided details about the Harbor Maintenance Tax Fund that affects ports and related transportation issues. Ed Wytkind, President of the Transportation and Trades Department of the AFL-CIO also joined the discussion.
TWIC & background checks
Representative Bennie Thompson of Mississippi, Ranking Member on the Committee on Homeland Security, participated in a Thursday morning discussion about the TWIC program and how it raises serious civil liberty concerns. Also joining the discussion were John Schwartz of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), Captain Drew Tucci of the United States Coast Guard (USGC), and Alex Mrazik of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Hot topics included the controversial TWIC requirements and recent failures of the program’s card-reader technology, and the Coast Guard imposed Security Zones established around locked-out grain facilities and grain ships in the Pacific Northwest.
Working class fighters: ILWU International President Bob McEllrath led the Longshore Legislative Conference that met in Washington, D.C. on May 20- 24, 2013. The group met with dozens of legislators and staff, including House member George Miller from California who has a long record of supporting unions, including the ILWU.
After a week spent in dozens of discussions with lawmakers and staff, the Legislative Action Committee adjourned their 2013 meeting with a list of followup items that will be addressed by the ILWU Legislative Director and Assistant, including:
1. Addressing concerns that the pending Immigration Reform Act could include provisions that impact longshore workers.
2. Reaffirming the ILWU’s continued opposition to the failed TWIC program, and secure support from legislators who are willing to join us in questioning and opposing the program—including recent failures of the card-reader technology.
3. Closing a loophole in the harbor maintenance tax that imposes fees on all containers arriving at U.S. ports— but exempts containers arriving on rail from Mexico or Canada.
4. Educating members of Congress about the lockout of ILWU members by foreign-owned Mitsui/United in Vancouver, WA and Marubeni/ Columbia in Portland.
ILWU books and videos
Books and videos about the ILWU available from the union’s library at discounted prices!
Books
Solidarity Stories: An Oral History of the ILWU By Harvey Schwartz. An inspiring collection of first-hand accounts from ILWU union leaders and rank-andfile workers. $17.00
A Spark is Struck. By Sanford Zalburg. A high quality re-issue of the informative epic account of Jack Hall and the birth and growth of the ILWU in Hawaii. $13.50
The ILWU Story. This book unrolls the history of the union from its origins to the present, complete with recollections from the men and women who built the union, in their own words, and dozens of rare photos of the union in action. $5.00
Videos
We are the ILWU. A 30-minute color video introducing the principles and traditions of the ILWU. Features active and retired members talking about what he union meant in their lives and what it needs to survive and thrive, along with film clips, historical photos and an original musical score. DVD. $5.00
Life on the Beam: A Memorial to Harry Bridges. A 17-minute DVD memorializes Harry Bridges through still photographs, recorded interviews, and reminiscences. Originally produced for Bridges’ 1990 memorial service in San Francisco. DVD. $5.00
