A Conference on the
History & Traditions of the
Longshore Division

September 26-30, 2004
Palm Springs, California

Sponsored by the Longshore Division Coast Committee
Planned by: Coast Education Committee
(Local 54 President Dennis Brueckner, chair)
Coordinated by: Gene Vrana, ILWU Director of Educational Services.

Sessions at the conference will include speakers, panel discussions, and multi-media presentations on:

Harry Bridges, Working Conditions, & Maritime Labor in the early years 1900-1932 • Labor Unity 1934-2004—ILWU, CIO, AFL-CIO • Rank & File Democracy—Traditions & Trends • Social Justice Unionism—How and why the ILWU has been so politically progressive • How the Longshore Division Works: From a Caucus to a Division • The Longshore experience in Hawaii, Alaska, Canada • Fighting for Jurisdiction I: The March Inland—How the origins, objectives, and strategies of the original March Inland compare to the current needs of the Division to grow, organize, and support non-longshore organizing drives • Fighting for Jurisdiction II: The New March Inland—Pacific Coast Trends in Marine Cargo Handling • Contract Crossroads—The changes, gains, and challenges in pivotal contract years 1934-2004 • Political Action—ILWU traditions of electoral and legislative action on the national, regional, state and local level • International trends in ports, longshore employment and unionization • International Solidarity 1934-2004

Additional information and applications will be mailed to all longshore, clerks’, and walking bosses’ locals in June, and will also be posted on the ILWU website. Priority consideration will be given to members who have already demonstrated their commitment to action through their participation in the Longshore Division’s Area Contract Workshops and political action conferences in 2003 and 2004.