ILWU Legislative Director Lindsay McLaughlin reported to the International Executive Board Sept. 13 on the union’s activity in the federal and state governments. As usual, the ILWU was very active in Washington.
• President Bush signed a bill codifying a list of crimes that could prevent a docker from getting a Transport Worker Identification Card (TWIC). The union lobbied in the Senate and House to protect worker interests, with some success.
• The House and Senate passed a $900,000 allotment for dredging the Sacramento River. The bill also authorizes continuing the Sacramento Deep Water Ship Channel.
• The union asked the Alaskan house and senate delegation to write a letter to the Dept. of Labor saying the shippers were abusing the “Alaska Exception,” which allows employers in Alaska to use ships’ crew to do longshore work if no longshore workers are available. Senators Stevens, Murkowski, and Congressman Don Young wrote to Labor Secretary Elaine Chao, “We strongly urge you to take all necessary measures to curb these practices and to remedy all violations of the Alaska exception”.
• The Farm Bill passed the House. It includes a provision that would mandate the Dept. of Agriculture to buy sugar for ethanol production. This will help ILWU sugar workers if it also passes the Senate and the president signs it. The ILWU didn’t forget Blue Diamond workers during the farm bill debate. The union lobbied for minimum labor standards for any enterprise receiving federal agricultural dollars. This could deny funding to companies like Blue Diamond, which was found by the NLRB to have 20 labor law violations in March 2006.
• While the union was not successful in getting a statute passed, Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) and Rep. Phil Hare (D-IL) committed on the House floor to continue working on this issue of fairness and justice for the Blue Diamond workers. Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), Chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee is writing a letter to the USDA to urge them to adopt minimum labor standards for companies that receive Market Access Program funds.
• The National Parks subcommittee of the House held a hearing on the problems associated with the National Park Service contract with Hornblower, including their unwillingness to bargain in good faith and retain the skilled workers who are members of the Inlandboatmen’s Union and the Masters Mates and Pilots.
• The union lobbied against changes in NLRB regulations that would de-unionize workers with minimal supervisory duties. The union also met with Senator Kerry’s aides for discussions on catastrophic illness insurance. The union continues to back the single-payer health care bill HR 676.
