LEAD brings the ‘Heat & Hammer’ to train the next generation of ILWU leaders

October 25, 2022 3:16 pm

A diverse group of 100 rank-and-file members and elected leaders attended the ILWU’s Leadership, Education and Development (LEAD) training in Sacramento from September 18-23. The week-long education program teaches skills and provides tools that attendees can take back to their local unions to develop new leadership and create more membership involvement.

Dozens of exercises were conducted throughout the week, emphasizing active participation and collaborative problem-solving. Participants learned practical skills, including how to run a successful union meeting, how to increase member involvement, how to speak confidently in public, how to communicate a positive, public-interest union message, and how to strategically problem-solve.

Opening reception

The conference started with a reception and opening remarks from ILWU International Vice President (Mainland) Bobby Olvera, Jr., ILWU International Vice President (Hawaii) Sam Kreutz, and ILWU International Secretary-Treasurer Ed Ferris. Vice President Olvera and Secretary-Treasurer Ferris are both LEAD program graduates and spoke about

the impact the program had on their development as young leaders. International Vice President Kreutz spoke about the importance of family and the strong bonds that attendees will make over the week.

Keynote address

The keynote address, “Visionary Labor Leadership,” was given by Maria Abadesco, a former organizer with Local 142 and Labor Specialist at the UC Berkeley Labor Center.

Abadesco’s keynote challenged attendees to think about what leadership means and encouraged them to root their leadership in the ILWU’s democratic traditions. “We all have a different understanding of leadership and what it means to lead,” Abadesco said.

Abadesco then led the attendees through discussions of past ILWU leaders, including Harry Bridges, Jimmy Herman, and Ah Quon McElrath, as well as important moments in the union’s history, such as the Hawaiian sugar strike of 1946 and the Battle of Ballantyne Pier.

“Being a union leader forces us to stretch ourselves in terms of our leadership skills,” she said. Abadesco also emphasized that leadership was not a function of individual skill or virtue but was collective and shared. Abadesco said that even ILWU founder Harry Bridges needed the rank-and-file. “When you have a leader that doesn’t want to leave their ego outside, you have to call that out,” she said.

ILWU leaders speak

The keynote was followed by a panel discussion by ILWU leaders who are past LEAD alumni including Vice President Olvera, Secretary-Treasurer Ferris, Local 54 Vice President Stef Flores, Local 142 President Chris West, and Local 500’s Joulene Parent and was facilitated by Local 63’s Patricia Aguirre.

Secretary-Treasurer Ferris spoke openly about obstacles that he overcame in his leadership journey, including a fear of public speaking. “I’ll never forget what International President Willie Adams told me on the campaign trail: ‘You have to get comfortable with being uncomfortable if you want to serve.’” Ferris added, “There is no perfect leader, but if we collaborate instead of competing, we can make the world better.”

West said that his experience at LEAD taught him that ILWU is a bottom-up union. “This union is bigger than any one individual and that is what is great about this union. We have committees and structures where everyone has input. We win together and we fail together,” he said.

Vice President Olvera, drawing on his own experience at LEAD twelve years ago, said, “You are going to look back 10 to 15 years from now and remember this conference as a time that you found your voice and that affirmed and validated in your heart the things you know about this union. You all belong in this union— Big locals, small locals, old and young, your ideas about what you think this union can become matter.”

During breaks, LEAD alumni sat at a “Leaders Table” so they could answer questions about their history with the ILWU and the paths to union leadership. These alumni included Myka Dubay, Dennis Young, Vivian Malauulu, Antonion Pantusa, Mark Williams, Adam Wetzell, and Anthony Flores. The day closed with an interactive group exercise on the ILWU’s diverse divisions and regions and how that diversity works to build the union’s strength.

Working styles

The afternoon began with a presentation and group exercises focused on how different personality types and “working styles” can collaborate to make an effective team. Attendees learned about their working style and the strengths they bring to a team with a diversity of working styles. The session was facilitated by retired federal mediator Joel Schaffer.

Economic justice

The second full day of the program started with a presentation on economic justice by economist Mark Brenner from the University of Oregon. Brenner went through decades of economic data showing the relationship between declining union density in the United States and increasing levels of income and wealth inequality.

Ten Guiding Principles

Brenner’s presentation was followed by a panel discussion about the ILWU’s Ten Guiding Principles, facilitated by Southern California Lead Organizer Carlos Cordon. Panelists included Local 142 President Chris West, Local 10’s Melvin Mackay, Local 500 member Joulene Parent, Local 30 member Demetrius Freeman, and Local 6 Business Agent Pedro de Sa. Each panelist discussed one Guiding Principle and explained its importance to the union and their work as ILWU members and leaders. Following the panel discussion, workshop participants voted for what they felt was the most important principle at one of ten easels set up around the room.

Meetings that work

That was followed by a session on Robert’s Rules of Order, which is the process used by the ILWU and many other organizations to assure orderly debate, efficient meetings, and decision-making. This session was led by Local 34 President Sean Farley, who has served as the parliamentarian at Longshore Caucuses and ILWU Conventions.

The next generation

Later that afternoon, Local 5 union representative Myka Dubay facilitated a panel discussion on how locals are reaching out to newer and younger members. Panelists included ILWU Canada President Rob Ashton, Local 54 Vice President Stef Flores, Local 23 Vice President Dean McGrath, and Brian Skiffington, Zack Pattin, and Tyler Rasmussen from the Local 23 Young Workers’ Committee. The panelists talked about the histories of the young worker organizations in Canada and Tacoma.

After the day’s program, LEAD attendees, speakers, and guests attended a dinner at the Port of West Sacramento hosted by Local 18. The event included food trucks, a DJ, and a tour of the rice warehouse facility by Local 18 President Tim Campbell. Remarks by President Adams

Wednesday morning began with an address by International President Willie Adams. President Adams said the value of the week-long LEAD training would be seen by what the attendees bring back to their locals.

“Everyone in this room must go back to your home, inspire people, be involved, and do something for this union,” Adams said, adding that being a leader is not an easy road. “If you are looking for ‘thank you’s’ this is the wrong job. You do it for the love of the union. You are going to be talked about, second-guessed, and criticized. If that is happening, you are doing your job.”

Internal organizing

Following President Adams was a discussion on internal organizing, member engagement and one-to-one outreach to our union co-workers. The discussion analyzed the successful internal organizing campaign conducted by the Inlandboatmen’s Union (IBU) in the wake of the Janus v AFSCME decision. Panelists included IBU Secretary-Treasurer Terri Mast, Local 22’s Dax Koho, and Assistant Organizing Director Jon Brier.

That session was followed by part one of the communications workshop presented by ILWU Communications Director Roy San Filippo and Researcher Bridget Wack. The workshop focused on identifying audiences, and communications tools and developing effective public interest messaging that connects the union’s concerns with those of the broader public. Part two of the workshop, which focused on public speaking, was held on Thursday morning.

Following lunch, Jon Brier and Northern California organizer Evan McLaughlin introduced the “Heat and Hammer” strategic campaign framework that attendees would use in their final group project that challenges attendees to put together all of the skills they learned throughout the week. Attendees were grouped by region and tasked with defining a goal and identifying decision makers, harnessing the energy and passion among fellow union members about the issue, identifying the points of leverage and pressure to apply the decision maker and the tactics and actions that will be used to reach their goals.

Rage with the Farm Workers

The attendees voted unanimously to extend the afternoon session to allow everyone to attend a rally with United Farm Workers (UFW), who were camped out nearby at the State Capitol, to pressure Gov. Gavin Newsom to sign AB 2183. The bill allows farm workers to vote by mail in union elections, shielding them from potential intimidation from their bosses. The rally was attended by Tom Morello, guitarist for Rage Against the Machine. Morello is a strong union supporter and has moonlighted as a labor bard for years, bringing his acoustic guitar to picket lines and rallies all over the United States to sing labor songs and use his fame to bring public attention to worker struggles. Newsom eventually relented and signed the bill into law.

Analyzing the 1934 West Coast Strike

After returning from the action with the UFW, the final session of the day consisted of a strategic analysis of the 1934 West Coast Strike. After watching the PBS documentary, “Bloody Thursday,” Local 23’s Zack Pattin and Northern California Organizer Evan McLaughlin led a discussion that broke down the strike as a strategic organizing campaign using the “Heat and Hammer” framework that attendees would use for their own group projects the following day.

On the conference’s final day, attendees presented their final projects. Each presentation was followed by questions and feedback from the audience. Afterward, a graduation ceremony was held where each participant received their LEAD diploma for completing the course.

Participant reaction

LEAD attendees said they came away from the training inspired by the ILWU. They learned concrete skills that they could take home to their locals and left with an appreciation for the union’s diversity and rich history.

“This has been a great opportunity with a lot of experiences that help you bond with different people in our union,” said Local 502 member Cheryl Dow. “The experience gave me a clear idea of just how vast our union is and the power that we have when we come together.”

“The training has been fantastic,” said Gary Fincher from the Alaska Longshore Division. “I learned a lot of information that I’m going to take back to the membership. The Robert’s Rules of Order session was particularly helpful and will help make our meeting run more smoothly.”

“The L.A. Port Police have been part of the ILWU since 2000,” said Local 65 member Jane Britten. “Learning the history of the ILWU and the surrounding locals in our area has been very enlightening. It’s made us feel that we are part of a much bigger picture.”