By Lindsay McLaughlin
ILWU Legislative Director

The ILWU Legislative Action Committee met in Washington, D.C. June 12, 2006 and made a list of recommended priorities for the union in the upcoming mid-term elections this November.

The committee is recommending that the union exercises all the power at its command to change the direction of the nation, raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for Congressional and Senatorial elections throughout the country and send rank-and-file workers out to participate in the AFL-CIO’s Labor 2006 program in Ohio and Pennsylvania where both Senate seats and Congressional seats are in play.

The Legislative Action Committee lived through the 2002 longshore negotiations when the whole weight of the federal government—President Bush and the Republican-controlled Congress—was bearing down on the union. The Republicans threatened to introduce legislation to break the Longshore Division into separate units and threatened to use the issue of security as an excuse to obliterate the union. The ILWU survived the lockout of 2002, but we came very close to losing everything.

The only way to avoid a repeat of 2002 during what may shape up to be difficult bargaining in 2008 is to change the political dynamics of the country. Democrats are six seats short of a majority in the Senate and 15 seats short of a majority in the House of Representatives. We need at least one or both of those chambers to switch from Republican to Democrat control.

The Democratic Party is far from perfect, but the ILWU has excellent relations with its leaders and individual Democratic Senators and Representatives. If the Democrats take over control of the House, Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-SF) will become Speaker and be able to determine what bills are scheduled for the Floor. Given her unwavering support for working people and ILWU members in particular, this provides an incredible political support for fair longshore negotiations in 2008.

Most political prognosticators estimate the Democrats chances of taking over the House in 2006 at no more than 50-50. But if working people are fully engaged in this election, we can win.

Evidence is mounting that working people have had enough of the Bush administration and the corrupt, corporate-owned Republican Congress. Bush’s approval ratings hover around 40 percent and the Republican Congress’ are around 30 percent. We have not seen such dismal approval records for Congress since 1994 when, for the first time in 60 years, the Congressional control changed parties.

Stagnant wages, job insecurity and the loss of pension protections for workers is the legacy of the Bush administration and the Republican Congress. They have been bought out by the pharmaceutical companies, keeping prescription drug prices high by forbidding the federal government from negotiating cheaper prices for seniors. The open-ended occupation in Iraq, sold on the false pretense that Iraq posed a threat to the U.S., has taken more than 2,500 American lives and cost billions of dollars. The Bush administration left the victims of Hurricane Katrina to fend for themselves. The Bush administration and Congress refuse to do anything about the high cost of energy because they are in the pocket of big oil companies. The Bush administration was caught collecting information on the phone calls innocent American citizens make. Incompetence, corruption, cronyism. Have you had enough?

The Democratic leadership has made a number of commitments to working people of this country. First, the Democrats will place the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA) on the Floor to be debated and passed. This legislation changes labor law to allow workers to organize into a union without the constant threats, intimidations and firings so prevalent in union organizing drives. A Democratic-controlled Congress will repeal the Republican/pharmaceutical company-prescription drug legislation. A Democratic Congress will implement the real, effective homeland security measures recommended by the 9/11 Commission. Most importantly, a Democratic Congress will hold real oversight hearings to determine just how corrupt and inept the Bush administration has been.

While some ILWU members will be sent to states such as Pennsylvania and Ohio, others will have their hands full in a number of key high-profile races at home.
First, we must re-elect Sen. Daniel Akaka (D-HI). Last year, Akaka had a 100 percent voting record with organized labor, according to the list compiled by the AFL-CIO. Akaka is being challenged by a sitting member of Congress, Rep. Ed Case (D-HI). Case had a 67 percent voting record in 2005. Despite protests from the ILWU and other unions, Case is intent on repealing the Jones Act and has already introduced legislation that will effectively do that. The Jones Act ensures that domestic vessels are built by and crewed by American workers. Case wants to eliminate hundreds of thousands of maritime jobs in the U.S. Akaka is a steadfast supporter of maritime jobs.

Last week, Akaka supported the ILWU’s position on the Iraq occupation, voting to begin a phased withdrawal of U.S. combat troops, while. Case supported Bush’s status quo—no plan for ending the occupation.

Second, the ILWU is supporting Jerry McNerney for the 11th Congressional seat in California. This Congressional district encompasses some East Bay suburbs of San Francisco and extends to Stockton. The seat is currently held by Rep. Richard Pombo (R-CA), who has managed a sorry 12 percent AFL-CIO voting record.

McNerney is a strong supporter of labor unions, which he credits with establishing a floor for wages and benefits that support a decent standard of living for all working Americans. He believes the Bush and Republican series of tax cuts have benefited the wealthiest one percent at the expense of workers. He wants to re-establish a fair, progressive system of taxation and begin investing in education, infrastructure and jobs.

Third, we must elect Darcy Burner to the House Representatives from Washington’s 8th Congressional District. The incumbent, Rep. Dave Reichart, worked with the ILWU in passing seaport security training for longshore workers, but unfortunately, on many other issues affecting working people, he has voted right only 20 percent of the time.

In contrast, Burner is running for Congress to change the direction of the country. She is concerned about stagnant wages, escalating health care costs, loss of pension benefits and tuition increases.

Fourth, we must reelect Maria Cantwell to the U.S. Senate from Washington State. Cantwell was the first Senator to sign an ILWU letter demanding that the Bush administration stop using political tools to help the Pacific Maritime Association, the longshore employer group, in its contract negotiations with the ILWU. Cantwell is a strong supporter of privacy rights and civil liberties, and we need her leadership as the administration implements its policy to intrude on the privacy rights of American longshore workers in implementing the Transportation Worker Identity Credential (TWIC) card.

Fifth, we must defeat Arnold Schwarzenegger and elect Phil Angeledes as the next governor of California. Even though this race is not federal, the outcome has national implications. Angeledes is strongly supported by the ILWU and all of labor. He advocates taxing the wealthiest one percent of Californians to fund health care and education for all. Schwarzenegger has spent the last couple of years attacking unions and working people.

This election will be decisive for the course of the country and the fate of working people. We are asking that you contribute to the ILWU Political Action Fund so we can invest in Congressional races throughout the country. Without resources to counter conservative smear tactics and misleading advertising, pro-labor challengers across the country will be seriously disadvantaged. By giving to the Political Action Fund today, you will help get money to deserving candidates early for television, mail and other major expenses of a campaign. If you donate $500 or more, you will be included in the 2006 President’s Club and receive an exclusive ILWU work vest.

Voluntary contributions can be mailed to:

ILWU Political Action Fund
1188 Franklin Street, 4th Floor
San Francisco, CA 94109
Make checks payable to:
ILWU Political Action Fund.