Excerpt from the Maritime Worker Monitor, Issue #11, March 14, 2012
Longview Local 21 longshore workers waged the biggest, boldest battle against union-busting in the U.S. in decades. It was a fight against EGT, the giant grain company, that refused to abide by the port agreement to hire ILWU longshoremen, a conflict for ILWU jurisdiction and a contract. We kept our jurisdiction but got shackled with the worst concessionary contract ever. No wonder the contract, negotiated by attorneys, hasn’t been voted on by the membership. For a month it’s been the best kept secret (by EGT and ILWU tops) on the West Coast waterfront, where scuttlebutt is usually free flowing. MWM just got a copy of the contract.
Let the Local 21 membership read it and decide. That’s their right. And it’s all longshore workers’ right to see it because it affects the whole Coast, not just for upcoming grain negotiations but the PCLCD in 2014. A Longshore Caucus must be called over this sellout.
