25th ILWU Convention —continued from page 1

Membership meetings will be held to give members a report of what happened at the Convention and to ratify the Convention actions. A secret ballot vote is required to approve the dues increase and constitutional amendments.

After a lively debate, the 25th Convention adopted a resolution to support and promote the VEBA Trust for retiree medical benefits. The Trust was started by the union in 2005.

ILWU units must vote to join the program and pay the $3 a month contribution on behalf of their members. The $3 comes out of the unit fund. Members are also encouraged to make additional “supplemental contributions” on their own, which will increase their benefit when they retire.

Units which have not yet joined the program may still vote to join the VEBA Trust.

Notice of Primary Election at Local 142 Convention

ILWU democracy is unique among American unions in that rank-and-file members make the policies that direct the work of their International union. They do this once every three years at a five-day Convention which was held this year in Seattle, Washington from June 8 - 12, 2009.

Constitutional Amendments 
C-1 Convention Locations - updates the rotation of the Convention to the seven areas of the ILWU: Southern California Area - 2012; Hawaii Area - 2015; Oregon/Columbia River Area - 2018; Northern California Area - 2021; ILWU Canada - 2024; Washington/Puget Sound/Alaska - 2027; Southern California Area - 2030.

International President 
Robert “Big Bob” McEllrath

International Secretary-Treasurer 
Willie Adams, Local 23

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military families; take appropriate education and solidarity actions in line with this resolution. R-30 Commends South African Dockers for their refusal to handle Israeli cargo in protest of the Israeli massacre of Palestinians in Gaza - calls for the immediate end to the continuing Israeli siege of Gaza which is blocking food, medical and construction supplies to rebuild.

R-33 Free the Cuban 5 - calls on President Obama to review the imprisonment and free five Cubans who infiltrated a Florida paramilitary group to stop the group’s terrorist activities against the people of Cuba.