RALLY TO DEFEND ILWU
!
International Day Of Action
Stop Mitsui Union Busting and
Concessionary Contracts
Fight the Lockout of ILWU by United Grain in the Port of Vancouver,
Washington
Friday March
15, 4:30PM @ 1 Montgomery/Market Sts., SF
On March 15, 2013 there will be
international actions and protests against the union busting lockout of ILWU
Local 4 members by the Mitsui-owned company United Grain in the Port Of
Vancouver, Washington.
Since the concessionary contract
at EGT in Longview, Washington, other grain handlers have imposed a similar
contract in NW grain ports after longshore workers voted 94% to reject it. The
contract eliminated the union hiring hall, imposed a 12 hour day and allowed
the replacement of union members if they stopped work for health and safety
reasons. The other anti-union grain monopoly Cargill/Temco signed a separate
agreement which includes many of these draconian measures which is being
heralded by union officials as a “victory” because, they say, Cargill is
American-owned. Longshore workers in
Portland, the West Coast’s largest grain port, voted that concessionary
contract down.
Already there have been fires and
dangerous accidents working under these contracts.
Mitsui-owned United Grain locked
out the ILWU members and have brought in scabs who have been training for many
months to bust the ILWU. This attack on the union hiring hall, a key victory of
the 1934 West Coast Maritime strike, is a major defeat for members of the ILWU and all workers whether in
unions or not. This also whets the appetite of all maritime bosses who are want
to impose EGT-type concessions in 2014 when the West Coast longshore contract
expires.
The ILWU International leadership,
using racist, flag-waving nationalism, is attacking Japanese capitalist bosses
like they did during the lockout of ILWU Local 30 miners who were locked out in
Boron, California by British-based Rio Tinto. This is a reactionary diversion.
Only international labor solidarity actions can beat these union busters. Many companies are
global. Whether British-owned company, Japanese-owned or American-owned, these
companies are intent on destroying union labor here and around the world.
The ILWU Local 8 Executive Board
in Portland and Japanese Doro-Chiba railway union have taken the initiative to
call for action against Mitsui in solidarity with ILWU grain workers. The
Transport Workers Solidarity Committee (TWSC) is supporting this International
Day of Action.
Join us on Friday March 15th
at 4:30 PM at 50 California in San Francisco at the headquarters of Mitsui in
California. Let them know: Union
busting is disgusting!
For more information go to www.transportworkers.org Or
call 510-501-7080
(labor donated)
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