Washington Gov. Gary Locke, California Assembly, LA Harbor Commission Defend ILWU Right to Negotiate Fair Contract
Washington Gov. Gary Locke has made public his strong opposition to intervention by the Bush Administration in the ongoing labor negotiations between the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) and the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA). In his letter to Bush Locke urged the president to stay out of the ILWU/PMA negotiations, and also made clear to Bush that he opposes the use of the National Guard or other federal troops to act as strikebreakers in the event of a contract impasse.
"I believe the use of military personnel to replace private industry workers to break a bona fide labor dispute would be an inappropriate use of the military," Locke wrote in his statement.
ILWU International President James Spinosa applauded the Governor's action today. "Governor Locke, like many other elected officials, understands that the threats of the Bush Administration to intervene are a violation of the basic rights of working people," Spinosa said. "I am proud to see such a broad coalition mobilizing in support of our members' right to negotiate a fair contract without the threat of outside intervention." Joining Locke this week in solidarity with the ILWU was the California state Assembly, which passed a resolution Aug. 28 calling on Bush to stay out of the ILWU-PMA negotiations. It says the Assembly "opposes any action by the President and the administration that would impose a Taft-Hartley injunction against waterfront unions, would remove union workers from coverage by the National Labor Relations Act, or would send military personnel to the West Coast docks to assist in a lockout of waterfront union workers." The motion passed 46-27 and will be sent on to the state Senate next.
The Los Angeles Board of Harbor Commissioners also unanimously approved a strongly-worded resolution Aug. 28 calling on the Bush Administration to refrain from intervening in the ILWU labor negotiations.
"We are very pleased to note that the board, which oversees the largest port in the nation, has spoken clearly and unambiguously against federal government intervention in our labor negotiations and against the use of military personnel to work on its docks," Spinosa said of the resolution.
Spinosa added that the continued support of elected officials, agencies and organizations across the country is particularly important in light of new information received from high-level Bush officials. Despite public denials by the Bush Administration that they have no plans to intervene, an attorney with the Administration has told the ILWU that Navy crane operators from its bases throughout the world have been sent to San Diego and are ready to move into the ports to lock out ILWU members on short notice.
The ILWU contract expired on July 1. Negotiations between the ILWU and the PMA, which impact 15,000 workers in 29 West Coast port cities, are ongoing.
A list of officials supporting the ILWU?s right to pursue a fair contract without intervention by the Bush Administration is attached