An unfortunate thing happened at the port... ILWU Local 10 Officials Help To Break Oakland Port Truckers Picket Line With Police Support

An unfortunate thing happened at the port... ILWU Local 10 Officials Help To Break Port Truckers Picket Line With Police Support
An unfortunate thing happened at the port...
From: Robbie Donohoe
Sent: Tuesday, October 22, 2013 11:23 PM

Yesterday at the port, around 200 port truckers took to the port with a hundred or so supporters in order to strike their workplace. They set up pickets at the terminals. The police responded fairly swiftly and forcefully pushed the pickets on to the sidewalk.

The truckers were amazed and inspired by the solidarity of the ILWU members who refused to cross through a police line holding back their pickets. They held signs saying, "Thank you ILWU for your support". They shouted to them that they would remember this when their contract came up in June. The arbitrator ruled against them but the Longshoreman left anyhow and most of the port's production was successfully brought to a standstill.

The scene changed entirely in the afternoon when they decided to focus on SSA. Mike Villegiante along with BA Frank Gaskin , President of Local 10, drove his car nearly into the picket line. They got out and proceeded to tell the truckers that they were going to instruct their members to go to work after the police had pushed them to side (which they had not yet done). They had some words with the truckers. They told them that they were not a picket line because they weren't a union. He said it was just a protest and that if the police made way for his members, he would instruct them to go work. Many things were said back and forth.

The police then formed a line and pushed the picket to the side. Mike and Frank stood at the entrance to SSA and instructed each conflicted longshoreman to go work. A few of them refused and turned around. Many went through.

Anytime a labor force collectively withdraws its labor it is a strike. Unions started this way when they were illegal conspiracies. So, this was indeed a strike. The strike had a picket at their place of work in order to shut down production. They struck a blow and that wound was covered by the ILWU members who crossed this picket. Tell me that is not a scab!

I hope that people will consider the political implications of the ILWU leadership and at least some segment of the membership. I hope that there is some serious blowback from the membership of the local. If this is what we can now expect from the ILWU Local 10, what hope does the labor movement have?

I believe we should look at the port truckers for that hope. Please, come support them should they decide to continue their wildcats next week. This week has been a great success and they have inspired me and many more that workers still will rise and fight.

To the bitter end,
Robbie