Puget Sound ILWU members met with Presidential candidate Bernie Sanders at a massive rally that filled Seattle’s Safeco Field with more than 15,000 supporters on March 25.
Hours after the ILWU Executive Board’s endorsed Bernie Sanders for President on March 24, members were scrambling to help the union-friendly candidate who is who standing up for unions and the working class. During the next 48 hours, ILWU members heard union radio ads in Hawaii, joined massive rallies in Seattle and attended caucus meetings in Alaska.
Western winning streak
Support in those three states allowed Sanders to score decisive caucus victories on March 26 – taking 70% of the votes in Hawaii; 73% in Washington State and 80% in Alaska. A stunning upset victory came a week later in Wisconsin where Sanders defeated Clinton by 13 points. Another smaller victory came a few days later in Wyoming where Sanders won big again – giving him victories in 8 of the 9 most recent contests.
Challenges back east
The April 19 primary in New York is where pundits predicted Sanders would stumble. Clinton once held a massive 60-point lead in the Empire State that dwindled to just 6 points, making Sanders the eager underdog who chased Clinton during the final week with his message about fighting political corruption, Wall Street greed and empowering the 99 percent of Americans who work for a living.
Sanders faces another series of big East Coast primaries on April 26, including Pennsylvania and Maryland, before turning to Oregon on May 17 where Jeff Smith of ILWU Local 8 is helping members get informed, involved and organizing a rally at the union hall on May 3.
California showdown
After Oregon, the scene will shift to California where a fierce battle is expected over the nation’s largest pool of delegates that will be decided on June 7. Polls show that Clinton’s big early lead in the Golden State is withering to just a few points.
Showing his loyalties: On April 13th, Bernie Sanders spoke to a crowd of over 27,000 people in New York’s Washington Square Park. It was the largest presidential campaign rally in history, eclipsing Barack Obama’s record of 24,000. At the rally, Sanders wore an ILWU jacket given to him by Local 23 President Dean McGrath.
The ILWU logo on the jacket was visible on every news channel that broadcast the speech. “Bernie Sanders is the real deal. I was fortunate to meet him before the rally in Seattle.” McGrath said. “Everyone else in the room asked him what he would do
for them. I grabbed his hand looked him in the eye and said, ‘We are not here to say anything except….We got your back, keep fighting for the working class.’ When I handed the guy that jacket, you would have thought I handed him a $1,000 bucks. He thanked me profusely and carried it himself. He could have given it to one of his handlers, but he didn’t. We have his back and he has ours!”
Taking initiative
Longtime Inlandboatmen’s Union (IBU) member Jeff Engels, is encouraging all ILWU members – especially those living in California – to “feel theBern.” On March 19 he helped form a group in Port Townsend, WA, that held a successful march of 200 Sanders supporters. The event was organized in just 12 days, working with local unions and native leaders. “If we can quickly pull something like this together in Port Townsend, I know members in California can do it,” said Engels. Keys to victory
Early voting by mail will account for nearly half of California’s ballots. Requests for a mail ballot can be made until May 30, and new voters can register until May 23. The same deadline applies for voters who wish to change their political party, which is important because only those who register as Democrats or choose “no party preference” will be allowed to vote for Bernie Sanders in the California primary.
ILWU International President Bob McEllrath is encouraging members to get registered and vote. “Bernie Sanders supports working class people, and he deserves our vote – whether we’re in a union or not. It’s not just for us, it’s about all of us.”