West Coast Dockworkers need help

[John Paramo <albatrosrojo2000@xxxxxxxxx>]

This may very well be transformed in a turning point
of the "war on terrorism." The harbor Barons of the
Pacific Maritime Association are pressuring the Bush
administration to intervene with troops in the
dispute. There had been rumors of Pentagon requests of
some "swift action" to prevent the dispute - in
reality a lockout provocation by the bosses - to
interfere with military and naval operations.

It will be good if those involved in left
organizations and unions would raise the issue of
solidarity actions, particularly in other countries,
with the US ILWU.  Hopefully, many would come to
understand the relationship of these actions with the
overall antiwar activity.

Here is a letter from the SF Labor Council calling for
picket lines at the Oakland harbor.  Much more need to
be done and the national AFL-CIO should declare a
general mobilization in support of the dockworkers.

------

SF Labor Council Call to Support ILWU Picket Lines
(9/30/02) 
Date: Mon, 30 Sep 2002 17:02:52 -0700 
S.F. Labor Council, 

1188 Franklin St., #203, San Francisco, CA 94109. 

The following letter was sent out this afternoon,
Sept. 30th, by the San Francisco Labor Council
(AFL-CIO) to all S.F. Labor Council affiliates. 
---------- 
September 30, 2002 
 

Appeal to Support the ILWU's Picket Lines in Oakland,
CA 

Dear Sisters and Brothers: 
As you have read in today's press, the ILWU has been
locked out once again, this time indefinitely, by the
Pacific Maritime Association. A further sign of the
PMA's refusal to bargain in good faith occurred this
afternoon, when the PMA called off a scheduled
bargaining session and placed further unacceptable
demands on the ILWU. 

The ILWU has called on the PMA to come back to the
bargaining table. It has stated repeatedly that the
longshore workers want to return to work. It has
denied categorically the PMA's claims of "slowdowns"
and the like, calling these pretexts by the PMA to
hinder good-faith bargaining.

Meanwhile, the ILWU's picket lines have gone up in 29
West Coast ports. In Oakland, support for the ILWU's
picket lines is solid, as union after union has
contacted the ILWU pledging that its members will not
cross the lines. Picket lines are up at all the
terminals. 
Now the ILWU needs our support. They need help with
reinforcements on the picket lines from unionists and
labor rights activists in San Francisco and throughout
the San Francisco Bay Area. They are calling on all
supporters of trade union rights to come down to the
Port of Oakland, at any time of day or night, though
preferably at the time of shift changes, which are
6:00am, 12:00pm, 6:00pm, and 12:00am, to help staff
the lines.

Everyone should report to the picket captains at Port
View Park, after which they will be dispatched to the
terminals that need reinforcement. Port View Park is
located at the end of 7th Street in the Port of
Oakland. To get there, take Maritime Boulevard and
make a right onto 7th Street. 

An Injury to One is an Injury to All. 
Sincerely, 
Walter L. Johnson 
Secretary-Treasurer 
WLJ:kmz 
opeiu3aflcio(11) 



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