ILWU members march for M&R work and to get PMA to restart the 2nd shift . Don’t you just feel for those poor downtrodden longshoremen?

The day after the ILWU Political rally/Union marches in Los Angeles and Tacoma, both sides continue to try and negotiate in the press.

The day of the rally, the JOC printed an article that explained the purpose of the march was to urge the PMA to resolve the jurisdiction over chassis M&R. The article is the first to explore the M&R issue and to explain that the M&R work in dispute is work now done by IAM mechanics under the exception in the PCLCD.

ILWU rally to press employers to resolve chassis M&R issue | JOC.com

At the rally, and publicly, Local 13 is saying very little about the M&R issue, they seem more interested in making noise about PMA’s decisions to limit vessel work and stop 2nd shift work.

While the ILWU was marching around, for reasons that are not clear or the same in both Ports, PMA was using their media connections to make their case related to the Union’s slowdowns, in another JOC article published on the 23rd.

slowdown0123  Data points to ILWU slowdowns, PMA says | JOC.com

In Los Angeles, the Union claimed to be marching to get the Employers to hire night shift workers and to capture M&R repair work that is done by the IAM, and the work done by the new NON-PMA chassis leasing companies.

Also on the 23rd, the Union tried to take their case to the public using their media connection an the Press Telegram to have them print an article about Local 13, along with the Clerks and Walking Boss Locals, complaining to the Port about 2 PMA members allegedly being fined for violating PMA’s rules.

The Union said nothing about the M&R work, they simply denied the Employers claims without providing any explanation, and accused PMA of refusing to order, to pressure the dockworkers.

Longshore_union_protests_2_PMA_firms_fined

The more information that becomes public, the harder it is to understand why the ILWU is refusing to present the PMA’s offer to their Caucus, and exactly what the problem is.

Maybe if the Union spent less time talking to people who have nothing to do with the negotiations, and more time doing their jobs, they could git er done.

 

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ILWU Local 13 showed true colors at last night’s march. Bobby O & his son kicked it off by waving his middle finger and shouting FUCK PMA, and ended with Police called and a food fight at Acapulco Restaurant.

Last night the ILWU Community Support March started out in typical longshore fashion, when Local 13 President Bobby Olvera Jr., with his son at his side, kicked it off by waving his middle finger in the air and shouting FUCK PMA.

Great example for his son, and perfect behavior for those that think longshoremen are a bunch of over paid thugs.

Most of the estimated 5,000 who showed up are good people who believe in their Union, however, as usual a couple of bad actors, this time International Vice-President Ray Familethe and his party, including Coast Committeeman Ray Ortiz and past Local 13 Secretary/Treasurer Frank Ponce de Leon, got into an argument with the owners of the Acapulco Restaurant who refused to post the ILWU Support poster, and decided to leave without paying their $500 bill.

Police were called, but Bobby O’s connections with the Mayor payed off when the cops talked the owner out of filing charges by telling him, “I’ll look into it, but it would hurt you more.”

Check out the FaceBook posts by a couple of Local 13 members.

Rafael Chavez Fb post 12215   Aunu'ua Ma'aele Fb post 12215

What’s next Bobby, are you going on Jerry Springer?

 

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JOC article clearly lays blame for Port congestion at the doorstep of the ILWU, for hard-timing the Employer with slowdowns and refusing to dispatch crane drivers.

The war of words continues, with Local 13 putting ILWU-pacific-maritime-deception-2 on their website, along with their new wall of supporters.

The music did not make me feel like crying, like part 1 did, this time it is just plain irritating.  They should have used the Jaws, shark going to bite you music, or the theme from a spaghetti western like The Good, the Bad, and The Ugly.

I for one, can hardly wait for part 3; Bringing Back The Steady Men.

The JOC must not be getting the right message from the new ILWU representative, Adan Ortega, Government Affairs Consultant.

The JOC lays blame at the doorstep of the Union, accusing longshoremen of hard-timing the Employers since early November.

US West Coast congestion hits new high as ILWU, PMA lay blame on manning | JOC.com

Mean while, back at the ranch, the negotiations continue. In secret.

 

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Bobby’s latest PR move – beg supporters for testimonial letter for Local 13 website.

Bobby O and his PR consultant have launched their latest campaign; beg the ILWU supporters for testimonial letters, so he can post them on Local 13’s website. Read his letter for yourself.

01-14-15 We Support the ILWU and They Support Us Letter.docx

Bobby thinks his Facebook style, wall of supporters complete with testimonial letters, will make the Employers “like” him, and give him everything he wants.

Keep trying there, Flying Frog “Crew Chief”……….

 

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Bobby O’s latest PR move – write to the Port of LA & LB to complain about PMA’s club rules.

Bobby’s latest PR move is to write to the Executive Director of both the Port of Los Angeles and the Port of Long Beach to complain about a rumor that 2 PMA companies were fined and suspended from membership in PMA, for breaking one of the Employer’s club rules.

Bobby letter 11515

What does Bobby expect to get from writing to the Ports? Does he even know that they are not members of the club, and have no say in anything PMA does.

Is Bobby trying to protect his buddies at PASHA? The ones that ghost payroll his mother’s babysitters?

Why did Bobby lie about getting approval from the Publicity Committee to hire his new PR buddy?

He claims they approved his request at the December 31, 2014 meeting. Problem is they did not attend, because they were not told about the meeting.

This is kinda like the E-Board meeting where his transfer was approved, even though there is nothing in the minutes to indicate his request was sponsored or approved.

All the noise Bobby makes is not going to change the fact that he and Frank caused all the “PMA night shift” problems when they instituted their 8.51 program to only dispatch “certified” drivers.

PMA will find it amusing that Bobby is so willing to protest something he thinks is happening to PASHA, when he did nothing to to protest his member, Eric, getting 2 years off work for a cartoon after they said there was no violation of the contact.

How about another letter to Macy’s, it will have the same effect as your letter to the Ports?

 

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Why did Bobby O pay a Government Affairs Consultant $30,000/month, when he has Publicity Committee Chair Vivian to do the job for free?

The best PR effort by Local 13 has appeared on Facebook, posted by Local 13’s Publicity Committee Chair.

Vivian Facebook post11715

Why would Bobby O hire some Government Affairs Consultant who knows nothing about the waterfront, and pay him $30,000 per month, when he has member and Publicity Committee Chairwoman Vivian available to do the job for free?

Vivian knows the waterfront, and clearly has the writing skills, what is Bobby’s problem?

Thank you Vivian for your post.

 

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ILWU Local 13 posts Facebook style wall of supporters, Industry responds with letter to Big Bob and Big Jim from 175 companies.

Local 13’s website now has a wall of supporters, a little over 50 local businesses.

ILWU Local 13 – Wall of Support

The employers today responded with a letter to Big Bob and Big Jim from about 175 companies, asking both sides to get it together and “git er done.”

Multi Industry ILWU-PMA Negotiations Mediation Letter 011615 (3)

Must be getting close, hang in there.

 

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Be happy; “union members are more satisfied with their lives than those who are not members.”

According to a University of Arkansas study, union members are more satisfied with their lives than those who are not members.

Read the article, and feel better if you are a “member”.

If you are a casual, hang in there, after 10 years of indentured servitude, less is you are related to the right member, you too can  be happy.

If you are a “B-man” or “ID”, you are almost there, you are guaranteed membership within 5 years.

Bottom line: Be Happy, you either are a union member, or will be some day.

Want to Be Happy? Join a Union – NYTimes.com

 

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What’s up with the chassis pool in the LA/LB Ports, and who is going to do the M&R work currently done by the ILWU?

The PMA Employer Shipping Lines have decided to get out of the chassis business, one of the main contributors to congestion according to numerous articles addressing congestion in the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.

Labor contracts do not automatically transfer so, if the PMA Shipping Lines have no interest in the new Businesses, they have no say in who does the M&R work previously done by ILWU mechanics.

If PMA member companies have no say in the work, what are they talking about at negotiations?

How about explaining that in one of the dueling memos?

Interesting decision by the new chassis businesses, to use ILWU or to not use ILWU?

Bobby should be getting something for all the political contributions he made, he should call his friends at the Mayor’s office and the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach to get them to help the ILWU convince the new chassis businesses to use ILWU mechanics to do their M&R work.

They have to know, that if they use any other mechanics, other than ILWU mechanics, when the chassis hit the docks, what ever was repaired will be subject to safety inspection, which will create a bigger problem than now exists.

Wonder what they will do?

Read the JOC Article published today discussing the dueling memos and M&R jurisdiction.

ILWU-PMA trade painful blows as talks reach eight-month mark | JOC.com

Doesn’t look like Bobby’s and Dean’s efforts to get the ILWU message out is working, at least on the JOC.

 

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ILWU & PMA issue another round of dueling memo’s, while in Mediation. Local 23 jumps in with King5 TV.

Yesterday, PMA issued another press release explaining their frustration with the Union’s continued slow down tactics and offered a very general description of the offer currently on the table.

PMA-Press-Release-01-12-2015

The International responded with their own press release, posted on their website.

pma-officials-port-congestion-rooted-in-managerial-mistakes

And, last night in Tacoma, Wa, Local 23 President Dean mcGrath tried to blame everything on the PMA.

KIng5_Local 23_press_release and King5_Local23_video

All this activity is going on while the parties are in meeting with a Federal Mediator. Not a good sign.

The Union is trying to take their message to the public. Trying being the operative word.

This is starting to look more like 2002 every day, especially now that the ILWU is breaking their own gag order on talking to the press, as evidenced by Bobby O’s press conference last week and Dean’s dog and pony show last night.

If they spent half as much energy on negotiating, they might just get a contract.

 

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