No More Concession Contracts-Bring Back The Steadymen Coastwide And Prepare For Strike Action No More Secret Deals, Open the Negotiations To The Rank and File

No More Concession Contracts-Bring Back The Steadymen Coastwide And Prepare For Strike Action
No More Secret Deals, Open the Negotiations To The Rank and File
We Have The Power-It's Time For A Victory On The Docks

As a result of concession bargaining in the Northwest Grain, the ILWU negotiating committee has made major concessions on the union hiring hall, health and safety and allowing a 12 hour day.
This is a boss’s dream contract pushed by a leadership that doesn't want to fight but relies on lawyers and the good intentions of the bosses. They have refused to have any education and political campaign to unite our membership and the community to protect our rights and contracts.
Instead they tell us that we are weak and no one will support us. Is this the bosses speaking through our leadership?
San Francisco ILWU Local 10 rank and file membership has voted to call the steadymen back to the hall to really put the pressure on the bosses to end 9.43 under the contract.
This action needs to be backed up by the rank and file in Local 10 and similar actions need to be taken throughout the coast.
The employers are now retaliating against union members who fight for health and safety and in Portland whole crews are being fired and union officials are telling the members that they have to keep working and "cannot go on strike". Who are they kidding?
There is no contract and workers have a right and the responsibility to protect their lives.
The recent action by ILWU Local 10 to abide by the community picket lines at Zim Lines
was an important act of solidarity that continues the tradition of the ILWU that an Injury To One is An Injury To All.
Unlike the 2010 picket against the Zim ship, officers of the local this time colluded with the Zim Lines and the PMA against the rank and file to break the picket line and violate the contract allowing workers on one ship to be sold to another and actually helping to scab herd. This is action that crosses the class lines and has no place in the ILWU or any other union.
It is time for united action coast wide and for a fightback against the concession contract that is being prepared by the ILWU International. There needs to be a new negotiating committee elected that will stop the concession bargaining and give-backs and let the membership know what is happening.
The attacks by the police in Ferguson show where this country is going. The militarization of the police and overt racism is aimed at the entire working class including the ILWU. We need to prepare to unite with the community and all of labor for this battle.
Now is the time to fight back. The ships are loaded with Christmas cargo and there are no trained scab workers that can do our jobs. If we are going to defend our union, our principles and our traditions we have to stand up and say enough is enough of give-backs and company unionism.

For Victory On The Coast-Stop Concession Bargaining.
For A Coast Wide Victory
Victory On The Docks
Statement Of The Transport Workers Solidarity Committee Longshore Supporters