Senators Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and Diane Feinstein (D-CA) and Representative Hilda Solis (D-CA 32) have proposed legislation which would effectively reduce the burden of air pollution produced by oceangoing vessels while they are entering and exiting U.S. ports.

The bill--the Marine Vessel Emissions Reduction Act (MVERA), (S1499 & HR2548)--requires the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to establish rules limiting fuel sulfur content in both domestic and foreign-flagged ships traveling to all U.S. ports, including ILWU's West Coast jurisdiction.  

The limit would apply within 200 miles of the U.S. coastline and would reduce sulfur content to 1,000-2,000 parts per million (ppm) sulfur by 2011.  Current fuel sulfur levels are approximately 27,000 ppm.  MVERA would also require EPA to establish "maximum achievable" NOx, SOx and particulate emissions reduction standards for main & auxiliary ship engines.

Read a fact sheet from the South Coast Air Quality Management District about MVERA. 

The ILWU Executive Board has been evaluating the top presidential candidates. Republican candidates failed to meet the minimum requirements for consideration because of their opposition to most of the ILWU’s top priorities, including:

• The Employee Free Choice Act, to protect the rights of workers to join unions. Health Care Reform, to provide the best quality health care for all Americans.
  
• Ending the war so the troops can return home safely from Iraq.
  
• Better port security that includes careful inspection of empty containers and seals, and assures that workers are treated fairly in the Transport Workers Identification Card (TWIC) process.

Candidates were asked to provide detailed written responses to an ILWU questionnaire on key issues. To date, Barack Obama, John Edwards, and Dennis Kucinich have responded with completed questionaires. Hillary Clinton’s campaign said they are preparing a response but have not provided one yet.

Presidential candidates Barack, Clinton and Edwards sent their senior staff to meet with our Coast Legislative Action Committee. Congressman Kucinich met personally with the Committee. Other candidates who have communicated with the ILWU include: Senator Chris Dodd, who attended a town hall meeting in Sacramento with Blue Diamond Almond workers, and Senator Joe Biden, who addressed the Longshore Division Caucus last spring.

Members of the Coast Legislative Action Committee who met with the candidates included: International Secretary-Treasurer William Adams, Peter Peyton from Local 63, Dawn DesBrisay of Local 40, and Lawrence Thibeaux of Local 10. Legislative Director Lindsay McLaughlin and Legislative Assistant Kyle Weimann also participated.

The Executive Board last met on December 6-7 in San Francisco, where they discussed the presidential election. The Coast Legislative Action Committee presented their report, based on the questionnaires received and from their meetings with candidates’ staff.

The Committee felt that all candidates interviewed were addressing issues of concern to the ILWU, and that it did not make sense to endorse a candidate at this time. The Executive Board accepted that recommendation but will revisit the presidential election at their next meeting on March 28-29 at the ILWU International headquarters in San Francisco.

ILWU 2008 Presidential Questionnaire candidate responses: