Occupy plans to shut down US west coast ports

[alp227]

Source: The Guardian

The Occupy movement will attempt to shut down all the major ports on the west coast of the US in support of a union battle in Longview, Washington, despite the union opposing the action.

Thousands of protesters from various west coast occupations are expected to take part on Monday 12 December. The action is intended to support a long-running International Longshore Workers' Union (ILWU) fight to prevent a terminal operator using workers from a different union.

However, a row has broken out in advance of the shutdown, with the ILWU asking Occupy protesters to call off the action.

Occupy Oakland, which organised a "general strike" and shut down Oakland's port in early November, has partnered with occupations including Portland, Los Angeles, San Diego, Tacoma and Seattle in a bid to stop all port activity on America's west coast.

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/dec/10/occupy-shutdown-west-coast-ports

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This action sounds like it will hurt the union more than help.

[LAGC]

1. Nah, I think its a great development.

Of course the union has to "officially" not support the general strike, but most rank-and-file union-members do, and WILL honor the picket lines on Monday.

A little disruption of foreign commerce couldn't hurt. If anything, it might just spur more demand for American-made goods, even if consumers have to pay a little bit more at the register.

[U4ikLefty]

2. As I understand it, the ILWU has taken no position on the port shutdown

The membership has not yet voted on this issue.

Here is a link from the ILWU: http://bayplanningcoalition.org/wp-content/uploads/ILWU-12-6-11.pdf

[applegrove]

3. I don't think they should be doing anything so aggressive.

[Zorro]

4. Encroaching on ILWU turf without their direct support is a bad idea

This planned action isn't going to endear the Occupy movement with the union.

The ILWU organizes and controls strike activities at the ports.

[Bette Noir]

5. Occupy could lose grassroots support if they go meddling where they're not wanted.

Longview is a small town, 30,000 people. If the port closes down, it's likely to hurt the working people of the community more than any of the big businesses Occupy should be targeting.

[midnight]

6. I can't help but wonder if the actual laborers are better off with OWS than they are with

waiting for an official nod to address their grievances that surely are being ignored...

[loyalsister]

7. I think the unions deserve respect

when it concerns their jobs, they should be the final authority. The last thing we need is a rift between unions and OWS.