Brothers and Sisters,
Last Thursday local 10 of the ILWU passed a motion for a stop-work meeting on December the 9th in support of the MMandP and IBU struggle against Hornbower. This action taken by the longshore division could potentialy turn the tide around for a real victory if it is followed up on, with the power that organized labor has with its many members and resources. A mass and consistent presence of rank and file maritime and other workers on our picket lines, backed by the ressolve of the leadership to shut this operation down is what is desperately needed. The statement of rank and file Alcatraz ferry workers on this website explains that waiting for the courts and politicians to ressolve matters is "suicidal". This statement has actualy been proven in recent well known labor disputes such as with the Airlines at United, and also in Auto with GM/ Delphi, where the government actualy particiapted with the employers in robbing employees of their pensions. The ILWU on the docks of the West Coast has the power to shut down the comerce of the 6th largest economy in the world, and by widening their demands in a stop work action further, could potentialy draw many workers into this struggle who have much more in common with us than Nancy Pelosi - the Democratic speaker of the house to be.
I am asking that other members of the IBU in particular, who would be interested in sending ILWU president Bob Mcelrath a direct message in person at his offices in San Francisco, please contact me directly. There needs to be more than a contractualy permitted stop work meeting for one day, which primarily effects the port of Oakland. Not only should a port shut down be publicized all over the union and made coastwise as Mcellrath has not done or supported, but more workers in struggle very much need to come together around this. Currently there are rallies planned for SEIU workers having disputes at healthcare facilities in the Bay Area, stationary engineers at large department stores in the city may strike soon, the United Food and Commercial Workers UFCW are daily picketting the non-union Bristol farms market, and there are hotel workers not under contract in the city as well. These and many other kinds of struggles that working people face on a daily basis, should be supported through the power which ILWU and the organized labor movement have in their hands.
Joel Schor
member - Inlandboatmens Union, Sailors Union of the Pacific contact # 510-594-8207
