Resolutions

A motion to support and recognize the boycott was made and approved unanimously. The content of the motion was as follows:

[Resolved] That APT [The Association of Pleasanton Teachers] recognize and support the boycott of Hornblower Cruises and events, and, further, that no member patronizes or contracts with Hornblower until such time as the company agrees to recognize an elected representative organization for the purposes of collective bargaining.

L.J. Aladeen
333 Bush St.
Suite #3704
San Francisco, CA 94104
415-693-0950

Pride at Work passed this motion at their last meeting.

Please remember to attend their upcoming fundraiser this Thursday March 15th at 5:30pm at the SEIU hall 350 Rhode Island Street (at 16th St.)

For more information see - this site.

Motion in Support of Alcatraz Ferry Workers

The Bay Area Chapter of Pride at Work stands in strong solidarity with the members of the Inland Boatmen's Union (IBU-ILWU) and the Master Mates and Pilots Union (MM&P) in their struggle with Hornblower Cruises and Events, Alcatraz Cruises and the National Park Service.

We endorse the boycott of Hornblower and Alcatraz Cruises and call for the LGBTQ community to support the displaced Alcatraz Ferry workers by honoring the boycott of Alcatraz Cruises and Hornblower Cruises and Events.

We further support the picket at Pier 31/33. We are therefore adopting a day of picketing at Pier 33 on April 15th from 10am to 12pm and encourage all Pride at Work members and supporters to attend.

By unanimous vote of the Berkeley City Council:

(The City of Berkeley) ENDORS(es) THE BOYCOTT OF HORNBLOWER CRUISES AND EVENTS, INCLUDING THEIR ALCATRAZ CRUISES SUBSIDIARY, AND SUPPORTING THE EFFORTS OF DISPLACED WORKERS OF THE BLUE & GOLD FLEET BY ENCOURAGING HORNBLOWER CRUISES AND EVENTS TO ENGAGE IN POSITIVE NEGOTIATIONS WITH FORMER BLUE & GOLD FLEET WORKERS

WHEREAS on September 25, 2006, the National Parks Service executed a new contract for land and transportation to and from Alcatraz Island and Pier 33, replacing the incumbent Blue and Gold Fleet with Alcatraz Cruises, a business unit of Hornblower Cruises and Events; and

WHEREAS upon executing the ten-year contract, Alcatraz Cruises declined to retain longtime employees and ended recognition of their union, the Inlandboatmen's Union (IBU) and the International Association of Masters, Mates and Pilots (MMP-ILA) and chose to retain non represented workers; and

For decades the Alcatraz ferry service in San Francisco Bay has been staffed by members of the Masters, Mates and Pilots and the Inland Boatmen unions. When the Bush administration’s National Park Service awarded the ferry contract last fall to non-union Hornblower Yachts, Inc. it pushed 55 union members out of work, and threw their families off health care coverage.

Bay Area AFT locals are supporting the maritime unions’ call to boycott the ferry by declining to take students on field trips until Hornblower signs a union contract, and by joining the picket lines every (Sunday) morning 10-12 at Pier 33. If you are planning a San Francisco trip, don’t do anything at Pier 33 except join the picket line! For more information click here.

(Passed unanimously on January 23, 2007)

"[Motion to] support the cause of the Alcatraz Ferry workers (Inland Boatmen's Union, ILWU) who have lost their jobs because of the anti-union employer Hornblower Yachts; that we join the Alameda County Central Labor Council and many other labor organizations in calling for a boycott of Hornblower Yachts, and urge our members to honor this boycott; and we urge our members to not schedule class trips on Hornblower Yachts."

We, the Berkeley Federation of Teachers stand in support of our brothers and sisters in the ILWU and their sister unions the IBU and (MM&P) and urge our members to boycott Hornblower cruises and their advertised trips to Alcatraz until the labor dispute is settled and the 55 affected workers have their jobs restored.

Further, we encourage our members to join the Sunday pickets at Pier 33 in San Francisco as long as they can, and to urge a boycott of the Hornblower dinner cruises that operate from behind Berkeley’s Doubletree Hotel.

This resolution was passed before the creation of the website. We thought readers would be interested.

Whereas, the modern American Indian Movement (AIM) was forged in the crucible of the Native American occupation of Alcatraz Island from 1969-1971; and

Whereas, the AIM occupation of Alcatraz Island was instrumental in reviving the spiritual and ceremonial traditions of Indigenous people; and

Whereas, on Indigenous People Day, the IITC has for many years organized a Sunrise Ceremony on Alcatraz, commemorating the occupation as well as the local, national and international struggles of indigenous peoples; and

Whereas, the Inlandboatmen’s Union-ILWU (IBU)and the International Organization of Masters Mates and Pilot(MMP) have represented the Alcatraz ferry captains and deckhands since the first tourist was brought to the island in 1973; and

Please Do Not Use Hornblower Yachts For Field Trips

Last September when Hornblower was awarded the Alcatraz ferry contract by the National Park Service, they immediately fired all of their unionized Blue and Gold ferry workers.

Since that time the 55 workers and their families have been forced out on the picket line in an attempt to get their jobs back, and re-establish their contract. So far, Hornblower has not negotiated in good faith, and continues to deny these workers their rightful jobs. Now they are claiming that there will be no more negotiations.

Until those 55 workers get their jobs back, we are asking you not to use Hornblower yachts for any of your field trips.