ILWU locals support national May Day actions for worker and immigrant rights
Longshore workers to stop work in 6 West Coast Ports May 1, 2007
-- joining Great American Boycott II
On Tuesday, May 1, 2007 - in honor of International Workers Day - longshore workers will stop work in the West Coast ports of Oakland, San Francisco, Seattle, as well as Richmond, Benicia and Redwood City, California. These are the workers, members of the International Longshore & Warehouse Union, who perform all the loading and unloading of containers and other cargo while ships are in port. The action is in solidarity with national May Day actions for immigrant and worker rights.
Resolutions passed by ILWU Local 10 in the S.F. Bay Area and by ILWU Local 19 in Seattle call for longshore workers to hold a "stop work meeting" on May Day and "participate in the Great American Boycott II, in support of workers' and immigrant rights" on that day. The National May 1st Movement for Worker and Immigrant Rights has called for mass demonstrations and stay-aways in cities across the country on May Day. The celebrated ILWU Local 10 Drill Team will perform at May Day protests.
Resolution of International Longshore & Warehouse Union Local 10 - Adopted February 15, 2007, San Francisco, California. [This resolution was later adopted by ILWU Local 19, the longshore local in Seattle, Washington.]
WHEREAS, Local 10 adopted a resolution for our April 2005 Longshore Caucus reclaiming May Day (May 1st) which commemorates the struggle for the 8 (eight) hour work day in the United States;
WHEREAS, Local 10 endorsed May 1st, 2006 and participated in the Great American Boycott to protest the criminalization of immigrant workers by legislation such as HR4437 and the Marine Transportation Security Acts criminal background checks on dock workers;
WHEREAS, On May 1st, 2006, 90% of the container cargo at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach was halted as the result of immigrant truckers not going to work;
WHEREAS, Agribusinesses such as Tyson Foods and Cargill closed down several of their plants in anticipation of immigrant workers not going to work on May 1, 2006 in support of immigrant rights;
WHEREAS, Our own Harry Bridges, an Australian immigrant worker, faced four prosecutions by the U.S. government, was wrongfully convicted, illegally imprisoned, fraudulently stripped of his citizenship, and his attorneys sent to jail for defending him;
WHEREAS, ILWU in 2008, will start very difficult contract negotiations with the employer which requires we start to mobilize our members and build coalitions; and
WHEREAS, Hornblower Cruises has yet to hire skilled and experienced ILWU and other union ferry workers as well as to negotiate a fair contract;
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the membership instruct Local 10’s president to convey our intentions of having our stop work meeting on Tuesday, May 1st, 2007 at 9 a.m. to Pacific Maritime Association;
THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that Local 10 participates in the Great American Boycott II, in support of workers and immigrant rights, including the workers of Hornblower Cruises, on May Day, 2007 and that the ILWU Local 10 Drill Team perform; and
THEREFORE BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be sent to all ILWU locals, the International, and affiliated central labor councils.
- Adopted by International Longshore & Warehouse Union Local 10, February 15, 2007
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