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World Conference of Workers
In Defense of Trade Union Independence & Democratic Rights
SF Labor Council Call to Support ILWU Picket Lines
Letter from Walter Johnson to the PMA
Appeal to Support the ILWU's Picket Lines in Oakland, CA
Appeal
to Support the ILWU's Picket Lines in Oakland, CA
September 30, 2002
Dear Sisters and Brothers:
As you have read in today's press, the ILWU has been locked out once
again, this time indefinitely, by the Pacific Maritime Association. A
further sign of the PMA's refusal to bargain in good faith occurred this
afternoon, when the PMA called off a scheduled bargaining session and
placed further unacceptable demands on the ILWU.
The ILWU has called on the PMA to come back to the bargaining table. It
has stated repeatedly that the longshore workers want to return to work.
It has denied categorically the PMA's claims of "slowdowns" and
the like, calling these pretexts by the PMA to hinder good-faith
bargaining.
Meanwhile, the ILWU's picket lines have gone up in 29 West Coast ports. In
Oakland, support for the ILWU's picket lines is solid, as union after
union has contacted the ILWU pledging that its members will not cross the
lines. Picket lines are up at all the terminals.
Now the ILWU needs our support. They need help with reinforcements on the
picket lines from unionists and labor rights activists in San Francisco
and throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. They are calling on all
supporters of trade union rights to come down to the Port of Oakland, at
any time of day or night, though preferably at the time of shift changes,
which are 6:00am, 12:00pm, 6:00pm, and 12:00am, to help staff the lines.
Everyone should report to the picket captains at Port View Park, after
which they will be dispatched to the terminals that need reinforcements.
Port View Park is located at the end of 7th Street in the Port of Oakland.
To get there, take Maritime Boulevard and make a right onto 7th Street.
An Injury to One is an Injury to All.
Sincerely,
Walter L. Johnson
Secretary-Treasurer
WLJ:kmz
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Letter from Walter
Johnson to the PMA
September 30, 2002
Joseph Miniace, President and CEO
Pacific Maritime Association
550 California Street
Sacramento Tower
San Francisco, CA 94104
Dear Mr. Miniace:
The purpose of this communication is to inform you and all officers of the
Pacific Maritime Association that the San Francisco Labor Council strongly
supports the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) in their
fight to maintain basic rights and conditions associated with the workers
they represent. My main message is simple and easy to understand, namely,
action against the ILWU becomes action against the entire labor movement.
Here in San Francisco we represent 80,000 workers who are part of
affiliated labor organizations. Now is the time to get down to business
and stop the elephant dance of negotiations. Once again, if you take on
the ILWU you are taking on the entire labor movement. We are beginning
broad-based organizing to prepare for any action necessary, and rest
assured our actions will be dramatic and forceful. Therefore it would be
in your interest to move out of the ivory tower locker room and enter into
real negotiations. Patience has its boundaries.
Finally, we intend to give new meaning to the words that are part of the
foundation of labor: Solidarity Forever.
Sincerely,
Walter L. Johnson
Secretary-Treasurer
WLJ:kmz
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