Dear Supporter of Social & Economic Justice,
The Bush Administration Has Threatened to Send in the U.S. Military To Take Over West Coast Docks & Longshore Jobs.
Join Jobs with Justice, Alliance for Sustainable Jobs and the Environment, Community Labor Environmental Alliance, Portworker Solidarity Committee, Campaign for Labor Rights, and others in a National Day of Action on August 28th to tell Payless Shoes, Target, Home Depot, The Gap, and others: U.S. Troops Don't Belong On the Backs of Our Workers!
The ILWU has been there for others: refusing to unload cargo from apartheid South Africa and toxic waste sites, defending the rights of workers throughout the world, shutting down west coast ports in support of the WTO actions. Now we need to support the ILWU.
BACKGROUND:
The ILWU longshore contract with the employer group, the Pacific Maritime Authority (PMA), expired on July 1st. The large corporations who use the ports most - including Wal Mart, Payless Shoes, Home Depot, Target, The Gap and Best Buy - are pushing the federal government to intervene militarily in negotiations. These corporations, as well as the PMA, have formed the West Coast Waterfront Coalition (WCWC) as a way to lobby policy makers and recruit other retailers in an anti-worker/anti-union campaign. The full list of WCWC members can be found at http://www.portmod.org/membership/general.htm.
The PMA still hasn't made an acceptable proposal, so the workers are without a contract. The employers have no incentive to negotiate, because the Bush administration has threatened to send in the military to take over west coast docks and Longshore jobs to pre-empt any action on the part of the ILWU. They claim that a strike or slow-down would threaten national security. Bush Cabinet members have also threatened to introduce legislation to take away the Longshore workers' right to strike, or to break up their industry-wide contract.
HOW TO HELP:
Be a part of the August 28th National Day of Action by organizing a leafleting action at one or more of these stores. Keep in mind that these events are being organized to support the ILWU, but are organized by community groups, NOT the union. For legal reasons, the ILWU can not be involved--it is important that this distinction is clear, and that groups organizing actions do not say they speak for the ILWU.
- Organize an action in your community at one or more of the following stores on Wednesday, August 28th: Payless Shoes, Target, Home Depot or the Gap. Recruit folks from your organization and allies to help.
- Copy leaflets (a sample leaflet is attached & is also available at http://www.jwj.org/workplace/recent/ILWU/ILWUleaflet.doc), make a few signs, have a plan. Some of these stores may be on private property or in malls. Do some research and figure out what makes sense for your group. Keep in mind that the store or mall security guards may tell you that you cannot be there, but the police may tell you something different.
- Alert the media! A sample press release will be available--fill in the local details and contact info. Send any photos or press clips to wsjwj@igc.org.
- Write a letter to Payless or another member of the West Coast Waterfront coalition.
- Have fun!! Recruit folks for another possible day of action in September.
Solidarity Actions Have Already Started
On August 12th thousands of labor activists and community supporters marched in the streets of major west coast ports to tell the Bush Administration to keep their hands off longshore (ILWU) negotiations. Political leaders from up and down the coast, including the Mayors of Los Angeles, San Francisco, Oakland, Tacoma and Seattle pledged support. Most of the west coast Seantors and Governors have also demanded that the government allow the ILWU and the employers to negotiate without federal interference.
The day of those rallies, community and environmental allies of the ILWU started spreading the word about the WCWC. Environmentalists in North Carolina leafleted a Best Buy store, turning away customers in the State with the lowest Union membership. Community supporters in San Pedro, California, continued their pressure on the local Home Depot. In Montana, community allies distributed leaflets at the Western Montana State Fair, while environmentalists came down from a tree sit to leaflet the Home Depot in Missoula.
This contract fight not only affects the 15,000 Longshore workers on the West Coast, but also all other contract struggles coming up - reaching working people everywhere. And west coast Longshore handles cargo amounting to 7% of the gross domestic product, with three million jobs indirectly affected.
Tell-a-Friend!
