ILWU women speak out

My parents were both proud members of the ILWU. My mother showed me the strength a woman can have; she helped to lay the foundation for what it was to be a leader in the ILWU before I was even a member. In the early 90’s she stood up for her rights to organize into the union. She along with one other worker put up a picket line. She is now a retired Local 63 OCU member and I cannot tell you how very proud I am to have her in my life. My father, a walking boss, had a no-nonsense approach to work which guided my work ethic. He had a quote he used to recite: “I am a great believer in luck, the harder I work, the luckier I am.” I guess I got lucky. My father hired me as an estimator in his shop, that was no small thing. He is no longer with us but I know he was proud of me.

The development of ILWU educational workshops and being a mentor to those seeking guidance is what I am the proudest of. The workshops put on by the Coast Longshore Education Committee, Grievance and Arbitration Procedure (GAP) workshops and History and Traditions workshops. My committee is the essence of what the ILWU stands for: representatives of the longshore locals small and large from up and down the West Coast with a variety of experience and talent whose teamwork contributes to our success. All of my experiences in the ILWU merge and contribute to my leadership as a Business Agent. When I see in a member’s face or hear in their voice over the phone that “aha moment” where they get how they can work out an issue about the job or with the employer or our members, this brings me a sense of accomplishment.

To quote the History and Traditions conference: we are the “Caretakers of a Great Inheritance.” It is our job to empower those around us and pay it forward utilizing the tools our for fathers have left us; our contract, the 10 Guiding Principles and the adherence to the Four Objectives of the ILWU. The Union has given us an incredible legacy to pass on, you must be fierce, unafraid, willing to teach but most importantly willing to learn.

Even though my decision to run drew attention for many reasons, like the fact that I was a woman and from the tourism industry (all Local 142 Titled Officers up until that point had come from the sugar industry), I managed to be elected to the seat of Vice President and served there for three terms. There were so many challenges I faced as the first woman to ever hold this seat, but I knew the importance of breaking this barrier and did not want to let anyone down. I relied constantly on the power of collaboration and learned time and again the importance of communicating with others so the best of everyone can be brought forward.

In 2012, I ran and was elected to the seat of Local President. In that role, I once again found myself only being as good as the efforts of everyone around me, from the Titled Officers and Division Directors of Local 142 to its members. I owe a debt of gratitude not so much to the impact of one mentor in particular, as I do the security I always felt from representing a whole and the underlying democracy of all our protocols. To any woman who wants to break barriers in her organization, I would encourage her to do so not just for herself but for the difference she believes she can make. And to know that kind of intention will always find support in this union.

I could leave a legacy. They did so much for us, I needed to do something in return. One of my biggest accomplishments was to help start a Young Workers Committee in my local union. I also got to be a part of the ILWU Canada’s Young Workers Committee. That gave me a voice and visibility. Before that, I was just another person working in a small port in the northern part of Canada.

One of my goals and challenges is how can I influence more young workers? How can I attract more workers to be more active? Also, how can I be a better leader? How can I listen and learn?

I met Joulene Parent once and saw how active she was. I wanted to be her. How does she manage to be everywhere and be present at every event? She was one of my inspirations for being an activist.

As a Youth Representative on the ITF Dockers Section, Youth Committee, I went to Sri Lanka. There was a round table of the first women crane operators in Sri Lanka. That made me realize how easy it is to take for granted how privileged I am living in a First World country.

I am a woman and I have rights. I can fight for my rights if I am not being treated with justice because the law protects me. The Sri Lankan dockworkers were being harassed. They were underpaid and were not being treated with respect. It is very important for women to support other women. We have a lot of rights but not every woman around the world has that. And not everyone is aware of the fights that other sisters in other unions have to fight. If we all get together, we can support each other and accomplish good things. Have more sympathy and try to look farther than what you can see.

I called the ILWU and I called the UE. The UE called me back. Word got out to management and they called me into the office. They investigated me and had discovered that I had an engineering background and reassigned me to layout a new factory for an adjacent property they had just bought. They threatened to fire me if I didn’t accept the reassignment. I knew what they were doing. They wanted me out of that shop and on top of that, they were getting an engineering job done for minimum wage. The day I finished my drawing was the day of the union election. The union won and I got fired. The union asked if I wanted my job back and I said no. The union later got a contract.

Then in early 1968 got a job at Max Factor which was an ILWU Local 26 shop. They would not allow women in the maintenance department, warehouse or the compounding department. They would not promote Black workers in maintenance either, so we had that fight and finally through an arbitration got a Black mechanic promoted to a lead position.

Women were not allowed to bid into the warehouse or compounding department but we were able to overturn that through the grievance process. I also negotiated an apprenticeship program for the maintenance department and got three women trained as mechanics. I was recruited and elected steward there and after two years, I was elected to the Local 26 Executive Board. I wasn’t looking to get involved at the time. I didn’t want to run for anything but the members of the union kept telling me I had to run. I was talked into running for Business Agent when there was a vacancy after the BA retired. Then in 1984 I was elected President of the local.

There is such inequality in this country that the work of the unions becomes very challenging just to squeeze a few pennies from a person who has millions of dollars. How much is enough for CEOs while workers struggle to pay their bills every month?

What my life is and what I do is a reflection of the city and country. The companies that Local 26 used to represent were manufacturing companies, mining companies, auto parts and more that contributed to our infrastructure, to our schools, to emergency care. Much like in the rest of the country, those jobs have gone away, thanks to automation and trade deals like NAFTA that have made offshoring of jobs easier and more profitable.

I’ve been lucky that the members have asked me to stay. I’ve stayed because I believe in the preamble of the ILWU Constitution. I’ve stayed focused on the membership and keeping the local functioning and defending our health plan and pensions that are threatened by automation and job loss. It’s not about me, it’s about we.

There are dozens, hundreds possibly, of individuals who have influenced me as a longie and as a leader. There are two individuals who stand out:

• Sister Luisa Gratz is the longest standing president of any ILWUlocal as the leader of Local 26 for almost 30 years. She has taught me so much in the 20 years that I have known her. One of the most significant ideals that she instilled in me is to always put the membership first in every decision that I make. She taught me this years ago, andto this day, before doing anything union-related, I always ask myself a series of questions to determine how my actions will affect the membership. She taught me to never back down or out of a tough fight, and to never give up when I know in my heart that I am doing the right thing.

• Our late Brother Dave Arian had a tremendous impact on my development as a union leader. I affectionately refer to him as my “union father” in appreciation for the 20 years of advice that he poured into me. Dave took great care in guiding my union walk and helping me identify opportunities of service both in and out of the union. He taught me to consider every possible option and to analyze every potential outcome. His wisdom about worldly issues that affect the labor movement and our community still echo around me.

I am eternally grateful to both of them for the gifts of their personal friendship and professional mentorship. They both served key roles in my development and journey as an effective union leader. My goal is to pay that forward by being a loyal friend and knowledgeable mentor to my sisters and brothers.

I am very proud of the good reputation that the quality of my work has on the docks, in the boardroom, and in office. Many people consider my election as the first female Benefits Officer of Local 13 to be a big deal, but I think it is a bigger deal that I am regarded as someone who serves the membership responsibly with integrity and humility. It does not matter what my title is, it only matters that my sisters and brothers trust that I am doing a good job working with them, and working for them.

I encourage sisters to get involved early and intentionally. There is something for everyone in our great union. Women should take stock of their abilities and interests and then apply them within their respective locals. As long as women build each other up and support each other, the ILWU will continue to flourish as a place where women are respected for their contributions, and entrusted with leadership.

From our local Labour community: Joey Hartman, who is our past Vancouver District Labour President, and from the ILWU Women: Donna Domingo, Cynthia Brooke, Angela Talic, Vanessa Neilson, as well numerous Young Workers, past and present. Showing up, IS support, so I want to thank each and every one of them, for showing up!

I remember meeting a woman while flying. She was a tall stunning woman of color, and was flipping through the magazine mid-air. She then stated,” Oh my! Thats me! I helped work on that!” She was part of the NASA crew. I then asked her, how she got to be where she is.

“Did you just have good friends and support?” I asked,

“Nah girl,” she said, It’s all basic math. There are always those who want to take from you, your time, energy resources, even your man…and then there are those who want to add, or multiply to your life. They are introducing you to friends that add to your life, or the potential to multiply whatever it is joy, love, dedication, education. I just chose to surround myself with the adders and multipliers, and get rid of the rest.”

We of the ILWU have that potentiality. Add. Multiply. Our wild cards are the ITF, Local District Labour Councils, Young Workers, Pensioners and community allies. We have the recipe and we have the foundation to put it into action with our constitution and bylaws.

When we know this, it cannot be taken from us by the employer, government, etc. They can try, but we do our multiplication when we Educate, Agitate, and Organize. The Best math of all.

An accomplishment I am proud of was amplifying the Story of the Bows and Arrows, the original Indigenous workers on the Waterfront. I’ve had the opportunity to share this, locally at the Pacific Northwest Labour History Conference, as well as abroad at the Summer Institute of Union Women. It is important to pay respects to the original land keepers, whose descendants are still working among us.

Another accomplishment collectively our union got involved with the Canada’s side of ’United Way Tampon Tuesday Campaign’. Angela Talic was the Executive at the time and was involved in it, on behalf of the local. She asked others to get involved and I said yes. The campaign has since rebranded itself as Period Promise, and has been successful because of the labour movement. It was our collective voice blended with lobbying local governments. It has been so successful.

Now many local schools and communities offer these products free. Workers shouldn’t have to decide between food and other basic necessities for that month or getting menstrual products. Saying “Yes” when the Union/ Community needs help, makes me feel good.

Now I’m the Area Welfare Director in Washington state for the ILWU-PMA Benefit Plans. I now can help members who raised me up in this industry for the past 28 years. My job is very rewarding, challenging and fast-moving.

I started with longshore “lingo” and training. There was no active training in 1992. I remember someone yelling at me to “go get a “bombcart,” and I thought, “what’s a bombcart?” I remember my first job driving a semi at Pier 5 in Seattle with no earplugs. I picked the worst semi available and drove it for 8 hours. The seat didn’t move forward, there was no two-way radio, and the foreman would just yelling over the ship’s rail and waving paperwork around. I couldn’t tell if he was yelling at me or the guy behind me. My ears were ringing because of the noise and I could not hear a thing! I have plenty of stories but this memory makes me laugh when I think how far we’ve come.

I’m so grateful for my uncle John Finne who literally begged me just to try the work. I appreciate John Wimbish who taught me how to drive semi. He said, “Turn towards the turn!” From that day forward, I could back containers up anywhere. I have to thank Ron Crabtree, Joe Toro, Al Meeds, Al Barnes, Mike Snyder, Joe Ross, John Ross and Ted Farrison; all of whom took the time to show me how to work safely.

And thank you Bob McEllrath who taught me, “Sometimes you may be the only one at the table who believes in your opinion and that’s ok, you stand by your opinion.”

Women on the waterfront are definitely becoming more active in politics as well as various union committees. I’m very happy to see that, but not because they’re women – I’m happy to see anyone who steps up and gets involved on behalf of the ILWU. As the Washington Benefits Coordinator, my phone now rings every day with the craziest situations. There have been several times that I helped a woman sort out a complicated mess, which is the next step to understanding union politics. If I can’t help, I look for an answer. The short of it is, I am willing to help anyone, man or woman.

The older men had definite views about a women’s role, which didn’t include women working on the waterfront. Even when I didn’t feel accepted, I knew the ILWU was fundamentally rooted in loyalty and brotherhood. As the years passed, the union became more inclusive and progressive. I feel fortunate to be a part of that growth.

There have been several people who have supported and encouraged me along the way but probably the most significant event happened in 2002, when President Spinoza and Coast CommitteemanJoe Wenzl asked if I would join the ILWU Legislative Action Committee. That appointment changed the trajectory of my career and I will always be grateful for that.

In 2008, I organized the field effort for the Labor 2008 election program.\The ILWU sent a total 50 members and pensioners to five battleground states to work on the election. This was my first big project.

Working closely with the Coast Longshore Division, ILWU members and pensioners, we won all five battleground senate seats and helped to elect President Obama. It was a rewarding experience.

The best advice I received was to get involved. Run for office, join a committee, participate in the labor community. Because you never know where it will lead. In my case it gave me a voice, a stronger relationship with my peers and a working knowledge of the union.

All members, women and men alike, are encouraged to get involved. Our diverse talents will advance the best interest of the ILWU.