Got news earlier today at my dispatch hall: Lies being fabricated about our union (ILWU)

[Xicano]

Today I found out some news that didn't surprise me actually, regarding our union (the ILWU) and the dispute up north with the company EGT. Here, its already been posted on longshore shipping news.

Multinational EGT loses bid to severely restrict workers’ free speech rights

“Union members are pleased with the outcome even though they are smarting from false allegations of hostage-taking that were spread in the media throughout the day, an outright lie intended to discredit the union and its struggle for good jobs for the community,” said Leal Sundet, Coast Committeeman for the ILWU Coast Longshore Division.


http://www.longshoreshippingnews.com/2011/09/multinational-egt-loses-bid-to-severely-restrict-workers-free-speech-rights/

We have a publication mailed to us called "The Dispatcher". A pdf copy of it is posted to our main website. Here's a link to the latest issue if you're interested in more information about our dispute with EGT. http://www.ilwu.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/DispatcherJULY2011lores.pdf


Here's a link to a radio interview: http://ricksmithshow.com/audio/download/16862/RickSmithSept082011-ilwu.mp3


This is a link to our main website. We post news about our union and our industry of course, but, we also post labor news as well. Here's the link: http://www.ilwu.org/


In an effort to show the public what the ILWU is about and dispel any propaganda forwarded by the media, I wish to post a link to this video. This is a video I posted to google several years ago. We ILWU members all had a copy mailed to us several years ago. We had it produced to inform the public what the 2002 contract dispute/lock-out was all about and what was going on, since, again, the media was spreading too much of the lies and distortions coming from the companies.

"Eye of the Storm": http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=2159801632056757549#


Peace,
Xicano

[LeftyMom]

1. Thanks for posting the facts.

My late stepfather was an ILWU worker. Three times he was injured on the job, blamed for the injury (or told he was faking, or most nonsensically both) and fired while he recovered from surgery. Three times his union kept his health insurance taken care of while he recuperated, found my mom work to get them by, and won his job back for him. I don't know how our family would have managed without a union looking out for his interests.

The ILWU is deserving of all of our support, and they certainly have mine.

[Xicano]

2. Thanks LeftyMom

:hi:

[DrunkenBoat]

3. k&r

[JustAmused]

4. Good for you

Years ago I lived in Tacoma. Work was hard to come by and I survived on Casual labor out of the Longshoreman's hall. Thank you for all you do.

[blindpig]

5. Solidarity, k&r

[NNN0LHI]

6. Net recommendation: +18 votes (Your vote: +1)

I sympathize for you guys. My union has been a victim of many lies perpetuated by the media too. When the $70 dollar an hour lie was being perpetuated on us a lot of people here were jumping up and down to show how indigent they were. Didn't get much support from fellow DUers back then either. I was beginning to think there were no union members on DU. Then some other unions came under attack and man, they came out of the woodwork. I couldn't believe my eyes.

Solidarity.

Don

[rurallib]

7. lies have been the norm as long as I have lived

Now when I think back to the early flickering B&W TV days, I remember some of the stories that I heard about unions that I knew were lies even at 10 years old.
But I guess we have become so used to the lies that it is just 'business as usual.' Not that that is an excuse. The other great tactic is divide and conquer.

My dad was on the other side of the table , negotiating with teamsters. While he didn't much care for the teamsters, he had a revelation one day. he realized that workers deserve decent pay a working conditions. He also realized that he was just being used by the owners - people who had once been his close friends. And he quit.

[socialist_n_TN]

8. Solidarity! Here's what I think about you guys

http://www.workerspower.net/ilwu-battling-back-on-longview-ports

Just remember that anything that you do that benefits the working class to the detriment of capital WILL BE ILLEGAL! That's the way the system is set up.

[Starry Messenger]

9. k&r

[pnorman]

10. Thanks for that "Eye Of The Storm"!

My own Union is maritime, so it'll be well received there. That was PMA's all out attempt to destroy ILWU once and for all as a powerful and UNITED union on the west coast. Had they succeeded, it would have had a very discouraging effect on the entire west coast labor movement, like PATCO in 1981.

I also believe that Jobs With Justice can take much credit for gathering support for ILWU in the community beyond the formal labor movement! It was close, and that may have been critical

[Xicano]

11. Hey pnorman, nice to see you again.

Indeed, 2002 was a close one. A lot of people worked hard to help us and we owe a big debt of gratitude to them. There were a couple of local businesses which also came to us and offered help. An Italian restaurant drove out free pizzas and other food for us out on the picket lines. Needless to say that restaurant does excellent business from longshoreman. :)

Its also nice to see someone else who's job/union is also maritime associated. Working on the waterfront is a life I love and wouldn't change for anything else. Same sentiment goes for the people who work on the waterfront.

Take care pnorman,
Xicano

[pnorman]

17. Jobs With Justice:

Here's the National Organization's website: http://www.jwj.org/

As a result of 24x7 anti-union BS in the main stream media, the average person is somewhat leery of unions---doesn't always realize how they benefit far beyond the union's membership. And most unions in this country are ill-equipped to communicate well with the outside community. The very concept is an abomination to orthodox Gompersism! And that's where JwJ comes in. In my opinion, they helped give the critical "edge" in what was the most critical ILWU job action in many years!

If you want to help the labor movement, consider joining it---either as an individual member, or as proposed by your union local.

[me b zola]

12. K&R

[Omaha Steve]

13. K&R!

[sabrina 1]

14. Not everyone fell for the lies. But thanks for posting the facts

:kick:

[Xicano]

15. Thanks sabrina

:hi:

[sabrina 1]

16. I just watched that video, Xicano. I am so in awe of those

people. And I am ashamed to say that I had no idea this fight was going on at the time. To see Bush tried to pull what he tried to pull on those workers, and the lies they were telling the public. Just watching it made me furious.

The other amazing piece of information in the video was the revelation by the WH rep., Schiff?? I think, in July of 2002 that they were going to war in Iraq!! That is proof of how they lied later when they denied having planned it so far in advance.

That is an amazing video and made me think there is hope. I was very impressed by the fact that the Labor Movement is now International. And how important it was for the Longshoremen to win that fight because if they had not, millions of lives would have been affected.

I think if there's any hope at all to start changing things, it really is with the Unions, the Labor movement. These huge Corps have no soul, no compassion or any kind of humanity.

You should post that video in the Video section. It was a real education for me and I think everyone should see it. Thanks for posting it. I have learned a lot that I am embarrassed to say I did not know :-)