Longshore dispute

Longshore dispute
http://www.sfchronicle.com/opinion/letterstoeditor/article/Letters-to-th...
Regarding “Dispute threatens U.S. economy” (Feb. 19), despite their power to shut down international trade, longshore workers are not to blame for this months-long slowdown. The slowdown is about employer pressure on the union to capitulate on the issues, and almost nothing to do with workers actions. The employers want to break this historically strong union, through sweetheart deals (as in West Coast grain ports) and automation, while the workers seek to protect their jobs and their safety on the docks. Yet, workers are being threatened by both the employers and the Obama government with lockouts and the antilabor Taft-Hartley Act.

Why are there no workers actions in response to this employer onslaught? The longshore workers are saddled with a weak and subservient union leadership, which should have called for a walkout when the contract terminated last July. Instead of no contract, no work, they dilly-dallied. Longshore workers need to use their power to stop concessionary contracts, and all working people should have their back.

Chris Kinder, Oakland