Open
World Conference of Workers
In Defense of Trade Union Independence & Democratic Rights
EMERGENCY PROTEST AT FEDERAL COURT BUILDING IN SF TO DEMAND: NO TO TAFT-HARTLEY! NO TO THE INJUNCTION!
Time: From 4 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Tuesday, October 8th
Where: Federal Court Building
450 Golden Gate Ave.
(between Polk and Larkin, SF)
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Tuesday, October 8th at 3:40 p.m.
Dear Friends:
At 3 p.m. this afternoon, the attorneys of the ILWU were summoned to
appear at the Federal Court building in San Francisco at a 4 p.m. hearing
presided by Judge William Alsup. The aim of the hearing is to determine if
the request for a Taft-Hartley injunction to end the PMA lockout issued at
1 p.m. (Pacific Standard Time) by President George Bush and Attorney
General John Ashcroft has merit. In his press conference statement, Bush
insisted it was necessary for the lockout to end and the longshore workers
to be back at work as soon as possible.
While the full determination to issue an injunction could take Judge Alsup
more than 1 day, it is possible the judge might issue a Temporary
Restraining Order (TRO) to force the workers back to their jobs beginning
at midnight tonight.
The following press release was issued at 3:30 p.m. this afternoon by
Walter Johnson, Secretary-Treasurer of the San Francisco Labor Council.
As coordinators of the OWC Continuations Committee, we call upon all
unionists and activists in the San Francisco Bay Area to mobilize in front
of the Federal Court building in SF (450 Golden Gate Ave, between Polk and
Larkin) between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. today. We realize this is not much
advance notice, but we just learned of this injunction hearing less than
an hour ago.
Thanks for your prompt attention to this appeal,
In solidarity,
Alan Benjamin and Ed Rosario,
Co-coordinators,
OWC Continuations Committee
**********
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Walter Johnson, Secretary-Treasurer
Tel: 415.440.4809, Fax: 415.440.9297
Email: sflc@sbcglobal.net
San Francisco Labor Council, AFL-CIO,
In support of locked-out ILWU port workers, says:
"No to Taft-Hartley, Yes to 30-day contract extension"
San Francisco, October 8 - Attorney General John Ashcroft, at the request
of President George W. Bush, called on local judge William Alsup to issue
an injunction ordering an end to the lockout of West Coast port workers.
The International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) was contacted by
the White House this morning and asked to accept a 30-day contract
extension in order to avoid a Taft-Hartley injunction. The ILWU
accepted the proposal for a 30-day extension. The Pacific Maritime
Association (PMA) was also contacted by the White House, but the PMA
refused the proposal. This refusal demonstrates clearly that the
intent of the PMA was never to bargain in good faith with the ILWU, but
rather to seek government intervention to force workers back to work under
conditions demanded by the PMA.
Unionists and activists will be gathering at 4:00pm at the Federal Court
Building, 450 Golden Gate Avenue between Polk and Larkin, when Judge Alsup
will be conducting a hearing prior to issuing an injunction, to say with
one voice behind Labor Council Secretary-Treasurer Walter Johnson "No
Injunction, No to Taft-Hartley, Yes to the 30-day contract extension.
The judge must listen to us and compel the PMA to accept the 30-day
contract extension."
In his letter of solidarity with the ILWU, Secretary-Treasurer Walter
Johnson stated: "If you take on the ILWU you are taking on the
entire labor movementŠWe intend to give new meaning to the words that are
part of the foundation of labor: Solidarity Forever."
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