ILA Ends Its Affiliation with AFL-CIO's Maritime Trades Department and Joins with Five Other Maritime Unions To Form Maritime Labor Alliance

ILA Ends Its Affiliation with AFL-CIO's Maritime Trades Department and Joins with Five Other Maritime Unions To Form Maritime Labor Alliance
http://www.ilaunion.org/news_maritime_trades_department.html

07/17/2013

NORTH BERGEN, N.J. - Seeking to strengthen the voice of maritime labor in the United States and end jurisdictional battles and raiding between unions, the International Longshoremen's Association, AFL-CIO today disaffiliated with the Maritime Trades Department (MTD) of the AFL-CIO and, along with five other maritime unions, have formed a new group, Maritime Labor Alliance. Two of the other unions making up the new six-member union Maritime Labor Alliance – Marine Engineers' Beneficial Association (MEBA) and the International Organization of Masters, Mates and Pilots (IOMM&P) - also disaffiliated today with the Maritime Trades Department.

The International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU), the Inlandboatmen's Union of the Pacific (IBU) and the American Radio Association (ARA) are all part of the newly formed Maritime Labor Alliance. Though not affiliates of the MTD, these three unions strongly support the ILA, MEBA and IOMM&P decision to withdraw from the MTD.

In a letter delivered today to Michael Sacco, President of the Maritime Trades Department, AFL-CIO, the Presidents of the ILA, MEBA and IOMM&P, cited "many years of deterioration in the ability of the MTD to address the needs of the maritime unions and the apparent willingness of the MTD to permit the dilution of the objectives and principles that are set forth in the MTD Constitution."

All six union members that formed MLA have witnessed jurisdictional attacks by other unions - some that are affiliates of the Maritime Trades Department - in recent years. The members of MLA see the problem getting worse and felt a need take strong action.

For example, last year, Portus Stevedoring Company, a Jacksonville-based company, moved its military cargo operation from Jacksonville, Florida to Charleston, South Carolina. The ILA learned that Portus transported members of the International Union of Operating Engineers from Jacksonville aboard the ship, Lewis and Clark, to handle the military cargo at the Port of Charleston, taking those jobs away from ILA members and in clear violation of ILA jurisdiction.

At that time last year, the ILA staged demonstrations in Washington and Charleston, South Carolina and has held recent meetings with top military officials to resolve the issue and protect ILA jobs and jurisdiction.

Also last year, the ILWU also fought a fierce jurisdictional battle in Washington State with the International Union of Operating Engineers over the handling of grain, work performed by the ILWU for many years.

Scott Winter, President and Business Manager of the International Union of Operating Engineers, Marine Division, serves as Vice President of the MTD, one of its top three officers.

MEBA and IOMM&P leaders cited numerous jurisdictional battles it has waged against American Maritime Officers (AMO), another affiliate of the MTD.

"It's time for those maritime unions that respect each other's jurisdiction and fight for the good of its members to join together to become the new and true voice of maritime unions in American," said ILA President Harold J. Daggett. "The Maritime Labor Alliance will become that force and that voice."

The ILA represents waterfront workers at major U.S. ports on the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts, Puerto Rico, Eastern Canada, Great Lakes ports and major US rivers. The union is affiliated with the American Federation of Labor, Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO); Canadian Labor Congress (CLC); Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO; International Transport Workers Federation (ITF) and the International Dockers' Council (IDC) and the Maritime Labor Alliance (MLA).