Outgoing International President Jim Spinosa swears in the new officers.  Photo by John Showalter

The ILWU International Executive Board met in the union’s headquarters in San Francisco Sept. 7 and 8 to certify the results of the International election and to swear in the new officers.

Outgoing International President Jim Spinosa presided over the beginning of the meeting as the Balloting Committee chair Jack Wyatt, Sr., Secretary-Treasurer of warehouse Local 17 reported on the vote counting held Aug. 14. He noted that the balloting process went smoothly and all candidates and observers present were afforded the opportunity to watch and ask questions and did so without disruptions.

The Elections Procedures Committee chair, Martin Jenson, an IEB member from Local 142, reported that the committee had received no timely challenges to the election, so the it recommended the board certify the election. Jenson also reported that the Financial Disclosure Committee found no problems in the candidates’ campaign finances that would have affected the outcome.


Members of the IEPC and Balloting Committee (BC), left to right: Arthur Reeves, Local 142, IEPC; Jack Wyatt Sr., Local 17, BC; Donal Mahon, Local 6, BC; Eli Miura, Local 142, IEPC; Steve Fyten, Local 10, BC; Martin Jenson, Local 142, IEPC. 

With that the board voted unanimously to certify the election results and Spinosa administered the oath of office to all the newly elected officers.

They are:

International President: Robert McEllrath
International Secretary-Treasurer: William E. Adams
International Vice President, Mainland: Joseph R. Radisich
International Vice President, Hawaii: Wesley Furtado
California Coast Committeeman: Ray Ortiz Jr.
Northwest Coast Committeeman: Leal Sundet
Southern California IEB representatives: Mike Mitre, John Tousseau, Luisa Gratz
Desert Southern California: Michael Davenport
Northern California IEB representatives: Fred Pecker, Lawrence Thibeaux, Richard Cavalli
Columbia River IEB representatives: Jerry Ylonen, George O’Neil
Puget Sound IEB representatives: Max Vekich, Conrad Spell
Hawaii Local 142 representatives: President Fred Galdones, Nate Lum (longshore), Joey Silva (tourism), Robert Zahl (sugar), Avelino Martin (pineapple), Kenneth Ige (General Trades)
Alaska: Pete Hendrickson
Canada: Tom Dufresne
IBU: Alan Cote´

New International President Bob McEllrath takes the gavel from his predecessor Jim Spinosa.

With the new officers and board members sworn in, newly installed International President McEllrath oversaw the board’s selection of the new Board of Trustees from among its members. They will be Alan Cote´, Nate Lum, George O’Neil and Max Vekich.

The board also passed a Statement of Policy in Support of the Sobeys Workers, members of the Retail, Wholesale Distribution and Service Union (RWDSU), an affiliate of ILWU Canada in the province of Saskatchewan, who have been on strike for a year (see below).

The board then voted to accept the American Radio Association (ARA), the more than 100 ship radio operators, as an autonomous affiliate of the ILWU. The affiliation will be similar to that of the IBU, except that for purposes of IEB representation, the ARA will be considered a part of the Northern California area.
The IEB will next meet Dec. 7-8.

—S.S.