ILWU/ITF honored at 2021 Maritime Industry Salute
On September 16th, the ILWU and the International Transport Workers Federation (ITF) were honored by the International Seafarers Center (ISC) of Long Beach-Los Angeles. Guy Fox, Chairman of the ISC welcomed everyone to the event and turned things over to Captain Dick McKenna, President of the ISC who served as the Master of Ceremonies for the evening.
Introductory remarks were made by Port of Long Beach Executive Director Mario Cordero and Deputy Executive Director of the Port of Los Angeles David Libatique. Both speakers thanked ILWU workers for their outstanding efforts and record-breaking movement of containers throughout the pandemic.
“What has traditionally been an invisible system is now visible to everyone,” Libatique said, noting the attention that the country’s broken supply chain is suddenly getting in the media.
“Central to this story are the unsung heroes—the people behind the cranes, the trucks, and the ships—the human face of this system that carries cargo to every corner of the country. In the face of the pandemic, the ILWU shows up to work every day to make sure the cargo is moving and to keep it moving,” said Libatique.
The ITF was recognized by the ISC “for their advocacy, defense support and promotion of all ship crews worldwide…and for their ongoing strong advocacy, for maritime workers everywhere both seagoing and shoreside.” ITF Inspector Stefan Mueller-Dombois accepted the award on behalf of the ITF.
The Seafarers Center also recognized the ILWU for its “outstanding professional performance to ensure safe, secure, efficient, and environmentally sound cargo handling,” and “for its ongoing strong support of the International Seafarers Center at Long Beach/Los Angeles harbors and…for its ongoing strong advocacy for both seafaring and shoreside workers everywhere.”
ILWU International Vice President Bobby Olvera, Jr. accepted the award on behalf of the ILWU. He was joined onstage by ILWU Local 13 President Ramon Ponce de Leon, Local 63 President Mike Podue, Local 94 President Danny Miranda and Pacific Coast Pensioners President Greg Mitre.
Olvera centered seafarers in his address and called attention to the conditions that seafarers endure. “It’s nice that the ILWU is being honored. But we’re here to honor seafarers,” Olvera said. He painted a picture of the life led by seafarers by summarizing a 1911 poem by Ezra Pound, The Plight of the Seafarer.
“The poem illustrates how little men and women onshore realize what a lovely life they live with their families and their friends and their comfort. They don’t realize the plight of the seafarer. Sometimes held down, sometimes not looked so kindly on in certain ports, and always away from their family,” Olvera said.
Olvera discussed highlighted the seafarers’ plight by discussing the recent crew change crisis in the shipping industry caused by COVID that has left over 100,000 seafarers stranded aboard vessels for months.
“I’ll accept the award on behalf of ILWU International President Willie Adams, International Secretary-Treasurer Ed Ferris, Coast Committeeman Frank Ponce De Leon, Coast, Committeeman Cam Williams, and the three ILWU Local presidents beside me,”Olvera said. “But we accept it in honor of the seafarer. Each one of us should go home tonight and think about their plight; say a prayer for them, and strive that each year we do something better.”