Women on the Waterfront – Our Past and Future: Local 19 Education Committee celebrates Women’s History
March 31 was a bright, spring day in Seattle. ILWU members at the Local 19 Hall were buzzing in anticipation of a new and innovative event organized by the Local 19 Education Committee celebrating women on the waterfront. The event brought together women ILWU leaders spanning several generations to discuss the challenges they faced in the male-dominated longshore industry and the progress they have seen because of the hard work of retired and active ILWU women who fought to make the industry more equitable and accessible to all genders.
People filtered into the warehouse through the roll up door and engaged with the interactive materials that included a sign-in book and photo collage of longshore women. They reminisced and exchanged stories as they found their faces and the faces of women they know. Unity was in the atmosphere; rank and file, elected officials, casuals, and families with generations of longshore workers were all in attendance. I met a lot of new people, those who perhaps don’t normally go to events, but this event drew a conscious crowd. This was an event people were waiting for and very proud to attend.
Kevin Castle (56876) holding a photo of herself (front) hooking up a line to offload tallow circa 1987 taken by a Seattle Times photographer.
As the program began, the approximately 100 attendees quieted, sat down, and drew near the stage, eager to hear what would be said at this first-ever Local 19 Women’s Event. I saw people listening intently with a desire to understand. The first speaker, Local 52 member Kesa Sten, delivered an enthusiastic speech titled “Umpiring of Privilege in Everyday Life” that described the constraints of being a woman in the working world and the institutional and systemic disparities women face in their daily lives. She spoke about the subtle—and not so subtle—ways women are talked over, dismissed, and their contributions overlooked and the impact that has for the women in the workplace. These are the realities—not theories—that women encounter every day.
Local 19 member Alison Steichen followed with a short speech to introduce the moderator, Sarah Esch, Local 19 Alternate Dispatcher and Delegate. Steichen boisterously said, “If anybody ever gives you guys sh— about your pink hard hat, your painted fingernails, or your outfits, just remember that the second female United States Supreme Court Justice did so with a beaded collar and lace gloves.”
Esch introduced the panel, which consisted of five senior ranking and pensioner women: Sandra Blake, Local 19 Class A member; Cyndi Anderson Hoblet, Local 19 pensioner; Mary Fuller Fairbanks, Local 19 pensioner; Rachelle Morris, Local 19 Class A member; and LeRin Farrison, Local 52 marine clerk. These women delivered a spectacular and awe inspiring program, eloquently sharing their experience.
With questions like, “How do you deal with disrespect on the job?” The panel did well in producing a variety of responses. In true longshore form, Farrison answered, “If you bark at me, I’ll probably bark back.” Further questions included: “How has the waterfront for women changed since your first day?” Blake answered, “I really like the young, fresh people that are just like, ‘this is ridiculous – it’s dinosaur age!’ What we’re doing to women and minorities is dinosaur age, I see it every day.”
The call for women in leadership was clear from the panelist table, especially from pensioners Mary Fuller and Cyndi Anderson. The question was asked, “How do you think women can work together to make the waterfront better for each other now and for the women that come after us?” Fuller illustrated the importance of persistence and said encouragingly, “Run for dispatcher, run for LRC, run for president. I ran for dispatcher every single year at Local 19 and never made it once. I transferred to Local 52 and hey, guess what? I was elected dispatcher.”
Barriers to leadership for women were explored, including imbalanced family duties, fear of being shot down and lack of encouragement and support. In response to the question about how women can work together to make the waterfront better for each other, Morris replied, “If folks weren’t talking very nice to me, people stuck up for me and changed the direction of the conversation. Those people make our union stronger. We need to uplift everybody.”
We were honored to have Kevin Castle, the first female Local 19 crane operator in attendance. She recited a poem she wrote about 10 years ago titled, Crane Operator, recalling her experience on the job. Terri Mast, Secretary-Treasurer of the Inlandboatmens’ Union of the Pacific (IBU), the marine division of the ILWU, was in attendance. She reviewed the Bread and Roses Strike of 1912, a great moment in women’s labor history.
My hope comes from seeing male allies at the event being intentional in showing their support. There were just as many women as men at the event. In a male-dominated industry, they set the standard pertaining to attitudes and ideals. If men began to demonstrate encouragement and advocacy towards women, a new culture could be established. A Local 19 Class B longshore worker named Tony Cappiello said, “I enjoyed hearing from the pensioner ladies about the change from their time and how things have become more accepting, progressive and welcoming. I was proud to be a part of it.”
This event has been in the works for a long time. I am young in the industry and did not experience this event’s early stages through the years. Several women were persistent in attempts to organize this event, including Jodi Itman, Sandy Blake and Ali Vekich. I would like to thank the recently elected Local 19 Education Committee Chair, Brad Herman, who gave the Women’s Event Planning Committee, including A, B and casuals, carte blanche and really supported us in taking charge. We feel optimistic and empowered by the novel attendees and the ideas that are being shared.
– Alia Lighter (58391), Local 19