The year 2020 will be remembered as the Great Lockdown. The lengthy interruption of our lives will continue and so will the economic trauma. Consumer confidence may fail to improve and an economic reset will be essential for us to move forward. We have been waiting for a surge in shipping — work that has not happened and may not happen this year. Trade restrictions have not lifted.
Tourism is down. Ridership on ferries is down. Our members have been laid off and some of our members are being sent back to the hall. Work is down across the board and the unknown looms large. In the 40 years I have been a member of this great union, I have never seen a time when our members cannot have union meetings in person until now. All of this is due to a pandemic over which we have no control.
Our members are facing constant demands including new policies over the proper use of personal protective equipment (PPE) and sanitation protocols on the job. We continue the never-ending fight with employers to secure PPE, to put safety first, and to provide COVID-19-related sick leave for all. These safety measures should be a human right in order to maintain dignity on the job and in the hall.
We should not have to struggle for these basic protections; we should not have to fight, for example, for two weeks of paid sick leave when a longshore worker gets sick with COVID-19 while working to keep the ports open and supplies moving during a global pandemic. Similarly, testing should be available for all. In the weeks and months ahead, the ILWU officers, local officers, and the membership will need to have painful conversations about the kind of sacrifices required by all of us in order to protect our people, our union, and our communities.
One thing that we won’t need to debate is the heart of the ILWU, the resolve of our members, and the need for us to step into the void and demand more for workers. The COVID-19 pandemic has had an overwhelming impact on millions of people across the globe.
The United States has been especially hard hit as the country with the highest number of cases to date. People have fallen ill in staggering numbers and the number of people losing their lives continues to grow. State and local government officials along the West Coast have taken this seriously from the beginning.
As a result, we have been fortunate that the rate of infection is low in comparison to other areas. However, as the pandemic persists, we continue to see the devastating consequences in our families and communities.
In addition to the ongoing public health crisis, we have a jobs crisis with unemployment at an all-time high since the Great Depression. To date, we have suffered significant layoffs in Local 5, Local 6, Local 142, the IBU, and the Alaska Longshore Division. For the longshore locals, although work at the grain elevators is steady, shipping has slowed and many B men are not seeing work opportunities. In the smaller ports, work has all but dried up.
In spite of the tragedy from the COVID-19 pandemic, there are glimmers of hope in the midst of all the turmoil. A renewed sense of community in our neighborhoods as we shelter in place together. Recognition and gratitude to the frontline workers who are doing their job to keep us safe. Acts of kindness to those that are in need. People helping people.
Bay Area ILWU members and community allies have been donating resources to the laid-off workers from Tartine, who just voted to join Local 6. Young workers in Local 23 have been reaching out to pensioners to assist with things like grocery shopping and dropping off household items. Members from across the union are reaching out to assist others in ways large and small.
Our strength comes from our membership and local leadership and we cannot thank you enough for your dedication. Please let us know whatever actions our members and locals are taking to help out during this terrible pandemic. We all need to be engaged because our families and communities are at risk. Solidarity is important now and always, and we will continue to search for opportunities where we can play a positive role. I want to give a special thank you to International Vice President Bobby Olvera Jr., International Secretary-Treasurer Ed Ferris, Coast Committeemen
Cam Williams and Fran Ponce De Leon, and all the hard-working staff at the International and the Coast Longshore Division. Without them, this union would not continue to function and for that, we owe them all a debt of gratitude.
Moving forward, we must continue to maintain a first-class temperament as we face the new norm. May we always remember the 4th guiding principle of the ILWU and let it guide us during this season of life: “To help any worker in distress” must be a daily guide in the life of every trade union and its individual members.
An injury to one is an injury to all.