Speaking out for fairness on the job: Vincent Atos (L) was voted “Employee of the Year” in 2007 by his co-workers. Officials at Alcatraz Cruises singledout Vincent and fired him for being “too gay” after he spoke up for the majority of workers who want IBU/ILWU representation.
Vincent Atos is a low-key, friendly guy who never concealed the fact that he was gay and a supporter of the union. During his six years as a deckhand with the Blue & Gold Fleet, and three on Hornblower’s Alcatraz run, his co-workers never seemed to mind his “gay” behavior. In fact, his co-workers at Hornblower voted him “Employee of the Year” for 2007.
But on Oct. 30, 2009, Human Resource Manager Anne Levine called Atos into her office and said someone made a complaint of sexual harassment against him. Hornblower suspended him pending investigation, and fired him two weeks later—conveniently removing the most outspoken supporter of IBU representation for the Alcatraz crews.
“I was acting the same as I always had,” Atos said. “It’s true that I was the most flamboyant gay person there, but it was never a problem until I was active with the union.” Atos and his co-workers had been fighting to win back union representation ever since Hornblower took over the Alcatraz ferry run in 2006. Hornblower underbid Blue & Gold, the union employer, to win a lucrative 10-year contract from the Bush Administration’s National Park Service. The company refused to rehire many of the experienced Blue & Gold deckhands and captains, putting 48 of them out of work. It then denied union recognition, saying the IBU lacked majority support.
With the help of the ILWU International Organizing Dept., pro-union workers built support on the job and among political leaders. Close to 30 elected officials sent individual letters to Hornblower supporting the workers’ demand that the company stay neutral and recognize the union if a majority of workers signed cards. The supporters of this “card-check neutrality” process included every member of the SanFrancisco Board of Supervisors and many California state legislators, among them State Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg (D-Sacramento) and Assembly Speaker John Perez (D-Los Angeles). California Assembly member Fiona Ma (D-SF) and San Francisco Board of Supervisors President David
Solid support for the fight against bigotry and union-busting at Alcatraz Cruises: Members of Pride at Work, the Harvey Milk Democratic Club, and other organizations are supporting Vincent Atos who was fired by Alcatraz Cruises/Hornblower in San Francisco.
Chiu led the delegation that delivered the request for a neutrality agreement to Hornblower in July 2008. By mid-October a majority of workers in the bargaining unit had signed cards. The weekend before Atos got fired, he went to the IBU Convention in Seattle, and received an award for his work.
From the moment Levine called Atos into her office Oct. 30, she began peppering him with questions. She tried to tar him with the typical anti-gay slurs.
“She asked if I said I liked working with ‘the young ones,’ if I called anybody ‘hot,’ and if I acted gay to offend people,” Atos said. “She refused to tell me about the complaint against me, but the questions she asked made me feel like a pervert.”
Atos filed a complaint with the San Francisco Human Rights Commission, accusing Hornblower of anti-gay discrimination. People joke and talk about sex all the time at work, he explained. Male crew members ogle female passengers and comment on their assets. One of the captains shows co-workers porn on his laptop during breaks. This behavior goes on with no one getting so much as a warning—but when Atos joked and flirted, he was told he was acting “too gay” and his behavior was offensive.
Members of San Francisco’s politically active lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgender (LGBT) community found Hornblower’s behavior offensive. The Harvey Milk LGBT Democratic Club and Pride at Work (the AFL-CIO constituency group for LGBT unionists and their allies) called a rally April 19 to protest Atos’ firing.
“We’ve seen the link between queer issues and labor issues since Harvey Milk helped organize the boycott of anti-union, anti-gay Coors beer,” said Milk Club Co-President David Waggoner.
“We’re calling on the City to investigate and end this discrimination, and on Hornblower to give Vincent his job back.”
Around 50 people picketed in front of Alcatraz Cruises during the lunch hour, livening up Pier 33 with their colorful and sometimes slightly off-color chants.
“I want to extend solidarity first to Vincent as a fellow Filipino,” said Rev. Israel Alvaran, community organizer for UNITE-HERE Local 2 and a member of Pride at Work. “As hotel workers, we are part of the tourist industry, just as the workers at Alcatraz Cruises are. As a union, we support organizing and we support queer rights. We want to call on queer tourists to not patronize anti-union hotels and boats,” Alvaran said.
The San Francisco Democratic Party passed a resolution on April 21 calling on Hornblower to re-hire Atos, and recommending that the Port Commission consider the case when Hornblower applies to renew its lease.
Atos’ has also filed charges with the National Labor Relations Board, in addition to his pending complaint at the San Francisco Human Rights Commission. Supporters are planning new ways to highlight his case during the upcoming tourist season, including an action on Saturday, June 19th at 1pm at Pier 33 along San Francisco’s Embarcadero.