On the picket line

Community stands with ILWU Local 21

On Sept. 29, about 1,000 labor supporters and community members in Longview, Wash., showed support for International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 21. The union has been battling for its life ever since U.S.-based multinational EGT announced it would defy the union’s agreement with the Port of Longview and not hire ILWU members to work its new state-of-the-art grain export terminal there. Meanwhile EGT has received huge support from the state of Washington in the form of tax incentives, a favorable lease agreement and an injunction to stop the workers from staging civil disobedience, as they did on Sept. 8 and in subsequent actions. More than 100 protesters have been arrested as they try to keep trains from delivering grain to the facility. The union struck back on Sept. 22 by filing a lawsuit against the city of Longview and the sheriff of Cowlitz County for harassment and excessive force.

Jeff Johnson, president of the Washington State Labor Council, noted, “With unemployment at 11.3 percent in Cowlitz County and no employment relief in sight, community members expressed their frustration and anger over EGT’s arrogance and continuing disrespect of the community.” (www.thestand.org, Oct. 3) Johnson cited EGT’s hiring of the Special Response Corporation, a security service staffed by ex-military and law enforcement thugs that specializes in strikebreaking, as the latest example of the EGT’s disrespect.

On Sept. 30, a federal judge slapped a contempt citation and a $250,000 fine on Local 21 for alleged costs in protecting EGT’s private property. The ILWU has vowed to appeal the ruling. (www.msnbc.com, Sept. 30) To help ILWU 21 fight on, Johnson requests that unions, labor councils and organizations pass resolutions supporting the union’s right to fight for jobs by sending contributions to IWLU Local 21, 617 14th Ave., Longview, WA 98632.

Tacoma, Wash., teachers strike for 10 days

While some unions have been wary of striking during this economic crisis, others have been emboldened. Like the nearly 1,700 teachers in the Tacoma Education Association, who went on strike Sept. 13 to protest the school district’s demand for “more flexibility” in transfers and reassignments. The final three-year agreement set up a joint committee to develop a new process for that. Though the teachers agreed to a two-year freeze on salaries, they maintained current class-size and caseload limits. After the agreement was reached, the Tacoma School Board tried to retaliate by cutting paychecks. But the TSB was rebuked because the contract stipulates that teachers are paid in 24 equal checks over the calendar year. Lesson learned: Even in hard times, strikes can be won. (www.weteachtacoma.org, Sept. 29)

Demanding justice for immigrants with H-2B visas

The AFL-CIO, the Southern Poverty Law Center and Centro de los Derechos del Migrante (the first transnational workers’ rights law center based in Mexico) filed a joint complaint Sept. 19 against the United States, citing provisions in the North American Free Trade Agreement. The complaint accused two companies of consistently paying immigrant workers with H-2B visas in 2007 and 2008 less than the federal minimum hourly wage and denying them overtime and reimbursement for travel, visa and recruitment costs. In fact, the workers earned on average about $20 per day for at least 12 hours work — which comes to a criminally low $1.61 per hour! The complaint was filed after all legal remedies using the U.S. court system failed to bring justice for the workers. (AFL-CIO Now Blog, Sept. 19)

Study shows U.S. does not protect workers’ rights

Political economist Kenneth Thomas studied data compiled by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development and found that in 21 categories U.S. workers have fewer protections than workers in all other industrialized countries, including Russia, India and China. Thomas concludes that “not only is the United States in last place, it isn’t even close.” Among the labor conditions assessed were such things as being fired unfairly, being cheated out of severance pay, getting the least notice of mass layoffs, and being stuck in temporary jobs. (AFL-CIO Now Blog, Sept. 15)