AUT: Bush threatens troops in longshore dispute

["Margaret" <margaret1@xxxxxxxxxx>]

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Bush threatens troops in longshore dispute
by Evelina Alarcon . Friday August 09, 2002 at 08:08 AM


  LOS ANGELES - The International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) =
revealed this week that a secret Bush administration task force has =
threatened a military takeover of West Coast ports if the union decides =
to strike.=20


LOS ANGELES - The International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) =
revealed this week that a secret Bush administration task force has =
threatened a military takeover of West Coast ports if the union decides =
to strike.=20

In response, the national AFL-CIO and prominent leaders including Senate =
Majority leader Tom Daschle (D-S.D.), Los Angeles Mayor James Hahn and =
Rep. Grace Napolitano (D-Calif.) are rallying to the side of the union =
demanding that the Bush administration stay out of negotiations.=20

The task force has included the participation of Secretary of Defense =
Donald Rumsfield, Homeland Security head Tom Ridge, Labor Secretary =
Elaine Chao and is chaired by Carlos Bonilla of the National Economic =
Council. In a statement to his members, ILWU International President =
James Spinosa described how the task force contacted him and other =
members of the Coast negotiating Committee directly.=20

"The task force has threatened to invoke a Taft-Hartley injunction =
against our union, to pass special legislation to restrict our legal =
collective bargaining rights and to break up our coastwise contract," he =
said. "Most ominously, it has threatened to bring National Guard troops =
onto our docks."=20

Spinosa said that their employers - the Pacific Maritime Association - =
have been encouraged not to negotiate in good faith because "they know =
they have the Bush administration on their side."=20

"Every proposal they have brought to the table was carefully crafted to =
be unacceptable to the union," said the longshore leader. "Not since =
1948 ... have we seen an employer so emboldened, so ready and eager to =
bust the union. It was apparent right from the first day of bargaining =
that the employers were on a mission. Their opening proposal was full of =
takeaways. ... They didn't leave anything out, from maintenance of =
benefits, to the dispatch hall to the arbitration system and the =
workplace."=20

"Let's be frank about what we are facing," continued Spinosa. "A union's =
strongest weapon is withholding its labor ... and now Bush wants to take =
away the biggest source of power we have. We have to stay focused. This =
is a fight for the very existence of the ILWU."=20

The AFL-CIO has teamed up with the West Coast union to launch a national =
campaign to stop government intervention. They have assigned staff in a =
half-dozen West Coast port cities to organize actions and adopted a =
strongly worded statement of solidarity with the ILWU. (See story page =
3)=20

The deadlocked negotiations are in recess until August 13. Next week, a =
series of labor solidarity actions will take place starting on August 12 =
at all major West Coast ports. Daschle will be the featured speaker at =
the Portland, Ore., rally. Hahn and Napolitano will speak at the Los =
Angeles rally.=20

The ILWU also faces threats from the West Coast Waterfront Coalition =
(WCWC), representing retailers like Wal-Mart, Home Depot and Target.=20

In a memo dated June 4, Robin Lanier, executive director of the WCWC, =
reports that the coalition has conveyed to President Bush that they want =
concessions from the ILWU and government intervention "to avoid labor =
disruptions." The memo calls for active lobbying and states, "while it's =
true the administration understands our concerns, they need political =
cover from you to come out with a strong response."=20

Steve Stallone, ILWU Communications Director, told the World that Andrew =
Siff, a Department of Labor lawyer, told union officers that they were =
looking at a "PATCO-type scenario." He threatened them with Taft- =
Hartley, which has not been used since 1978, when President Jimmy Carter =
unsuccessfully tried to end a national coal strike, but also with =
breaking up the ILWU's coastwide contract, which would force it to =
bargain port by port and "destroy whatever strength we have as a union." =


Siff also threatened to put the ILWU under the jurisdiction of the =
National Railway Labor Act, which would undercut the union's ability to =
strike.=20

"We are seeing a recurrence of the McCarthy era where instead of using =
Communists as a cover to attack the workers movement, the Bush =
administration is exploiting Sept. 11 to use national security and =
terrorists as a cover to destroy labor rights," Stallone said.=20

"The ILWU is targeted, but there is also a straight up attack against =
collective bargaining by government workers unions, as well as railroad =
and airline workers," said Stallone. "National security is being used as =
a smokescreen for union busting. The Bush policy seems to be that union =
rights equals national security threat."=20

A public hearing called by the California State Assembly and Senate =
Labor Committees is being planned for August 16 in Los Angeles, where =
legislators will hear testimony on the impact of the ILWU labor =
negotiations on working families.=20

A packet is now available on the ILWU website (http://www.ilwu.org) =
where union supporters can get resolutions, letters and other solidarity =
action materials.=20

The union's contract with the Pacific Maritime Association controls the =
flow of about $260 billion in cargo through the nation's 29 major West =
Coast ports.=20

Juan Lopez contributed to this article The author can be reached at =
evnalarcon@xxxxxxx=20



Time to Organize!!!!



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<P class=3Dheading><A name=3D""><STRONG class=3Dheading>Bush threatens =
troops in=20
longshore dispute</STRONG></A><BR>by Evelina Alarcon <A=20
href=3D"http://sf.indymedia.org/news/?author=3DEvelina+Alarcon&amp;commen=
ts=3Dyes">&#8226;</A>=20
<EM>Friday August 09, 2002 at 08:08 AM</EM><BR></P>
<BLOCKQUOTE class=3Dsummary>LOS ANGELES &#8211; The International =
Longshore and=20
  Warehouse Union (ILWU) revealed this week that a secret Bush =
administration=20
  task force has threatened a military takeover of West Coast ports if =
the union=20
  decides to strike. </BLOCKQUOTE>
<P class=3Dmedia></P>
<P class=3Darticle></P>
<P class=3Darticle>LOS ANGELES &#8211; The International Longshore and =
Warehouse Union=20
(ILWU) revealed this week that a secret Bush administration task force =
has=20
threatened a military takeover of West Coast ports if the union decides =
to=20
strike. </P>
<P class=3Darticle>In response, the national AFL-CIO and prominent =
leaders=20
including Senate Majority leader Tom Daschle (D-S.D.), Los Angeles Mayor =
James=20
Hahn and Rep. Grace Napolitano (D-Calif.) are rallying to the side of =
the union=20
demanding that the Bush administration stay out of negotiations. </P>
<P class=3Darticle>The task force has included the participation of =
Secretary of=20
Defense Donald Rumsfield, Homeland Security head Tom Ridge, Labor =
Secretary=20
Elaine Chao and is chaired by Carlos Bonilla of the National Economic =
Council.=20
In a statement to his members, ILWU International President James =
Spinosa=20
described how the task force contacted him and other members of the =
Coast=20
negotiating Committee directly. </P>
<P class=3Darticle>&#8220;The task force has threatened to invoke a =
Taft-Hartley=20
injunction against our union, to pass special legislation to restrict =
our legal=20
collective bargaining rights and to break up our coastwise =
contract,&#8221; he said.=20
&#8220;Most ominously, it has threatened to bring National Guard troops =
onto our=20
docks.&#8221; </P>
<P class=3Darticle>Spinosa said that their employers &#8211; the Pacific =
Maritime=20
Association &#8211; have been encouraged not to negotiate in good faith =
because &#8220;they=20
know they have the Bush administration on their side.&#8221; </P>
<P class=3Darticle>&#8220;Every proposal they have brought to the table =
was carefully=20
crafted to be unacceptable to the union,&#8221; said the longshore =
leader. &#8220;Not since=20
1948 ... have we seen an employer so emboldened, so ready and eager to =
bust the=20
union. It was apparent right from the first day of bargaining that the =
employers=20
were on a mission. Their opening proposal was full of takeaways. ... =
They didn&#8217;t=20
leave anything out, from maintenance of benefits, to the dispatch hall =
to the=20
arbitration system and the workplace.&#8221; </P>
<P class=3Darticle>&#8220;Let&#8217;s be frank about what we are =
facing,&#8221; continued Spinosa.=20
&#8220;A union&#8217;s strongest weapon is withholding its labor ... and =
now Bush wants to=20
take away the biggest source of power we have. We have to stay focused. =
This is=20
a fight for the very existence of the ILWU.&#8221; </P>
<P class=3Darticle>The AFL-CIO has teamed up with the West Coast union =
to launch a=20
national campaign to stop government intervention. They have assigned =
staff in a=20
half-dozen West Coast port cities to organize actions and adopted a =
strongly=20
worded statement of solidarity with the ILWU. (See story page 3) </P>
<P class=3Darticle>The deadlocked negotiations are in recess until =
August 13. Next=20
week, a series of labor solidarity actions will take place starting on =
August 12=20
at all major West Coast ports. Daschle will be the featured speaker at =
the=20
Portland, Ore., rally. Hahn and Napolitano will speak at the Los Angeles =
rally.=20
</P>
<P class=3Darticle>The ILWU also faces threats from the West Coast =
Waterfront=20
Coalition (WCWC), representing retailers like Wal-Mart, Home Depot and =
Target.=20
</P>
<P class=3Darticle>In a memo dated June 4, Robin Lanier, executive =
director of the=20
WCWC, reports that the coalition has conveyed to President Bush that =
they want=20
concessions from the ILWU and government intervention &#8220;to avoid =
labor=20
disruptions.&#8221; The memo calls for active lobbying and states, =
&#8220;while it&#8217;s true=20
the administration understands our concerns, they need political cover =
from you=20
to come out with a strong response.&#8221; </P>
<P class=3Darticle>Steve Stallone, ILWU Communications Director, told =
the World=20
that Andrew Siff, a Department of Labor lawyer, told union officers that =
they=20
were looking at a &#8220;PATCO-type scenario.&#8221; He threatened them =
with Taft- Hartley,=20
which has not been used since 1978, when President Jimmy Carter =
unsuccessfully=20
tried to end a national coal strike, but also with breaking up the =
ILWU&#8217;s=20
coastwide contract, which would force it to bargain port by port and =
&#8220;destroy=20
whatever strength we have as a union.&#8221; </P>
<P class=3Darticle>Siff also threatened to put the ILWU under the =
jurisdiction of=20
the National Railway Labor Act, which would undercut the union&#8217;s =
ability to=20
strike. </P>
<P class=3Darticle>&#8220;We are seeing a recurrence of the McCarthy era =
where instead=20
of using Communists as a cover to attack the workers movement, the Bush=20
administration is exploiting Sept. 11 to use national security and =
terrorists as=20
a cover to destroy labor rights,&#8221; Stallone said. </P>
<P class=3Darticle>&#8220;The ILWU is targeted, but there is also a =
straight up attack=20
against collective bargaining by government workers unions, as well as =
railroad=20
and airline workers,&#8221; said Stallone. &#8220;National security is =
being used as a=20
smokescreen for union busting. The Bush policy seems to be that union =
rights=20
equals national security threat.&#8221; </P>
<P class=3Darticle>A public hearing called by the California State =
Assembly and=20
Senate Labor Committees is being planned for August 16 in Los Angeles, =
where=20
legislators will hear testimony on the impact of the ILWU labor =
negotiations on=20
working families. </P>
<P class=3Darticle>A packet is now available on the ILWU website (<A=20
href=3D"http://www.ilwu.org/";>http://www.ilwu.org</A>) where union =
supporters can=20
get resolutions, letters and other solidarity action materials. </P>
<P class=3Darticle>The union&#8217;s contract with the Pacific Maritime =
Association=20
controls the flow of about $260 billion in cargo through the =
nation&#8217;s 29 major=20
West Coast ports. </P>
<P class=3Darticle>Juan Lopez contributed to this article The author can =
be=20
reached at <A href=3D"mailto:evnalarcon@xxxxxxx";>evnalarcon@xxxxxxx</A>=20
</P></FONT></DIV><BR><!-- |**|begin egp html banner|**| --><!-- |**|end =
egp html banner|**| --><BR><TT>Time=20
to Organize!!!!<BR><BR></TT></BODY></HTML>

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