Bulletin #36-14

Bulletin #36-14

December 4, 2014

While the PMA plays SCROOGE the ILWU is moving an unprecedented volume of cargo despite the gross mismanagement by marine terminal operators and shipping lines. In an effort to shift blame away from their mismanagement, the employers are using the ongoing collective bargaining process to blame the hard- working members of the ILWU for the congestion in the Ports of LA and LB; nothing could be further from the truth.  Here are some of the REAL reasons our ports are congested:

Bigger Ships with larger amounts of cargo are now routinely calling at the Ports of LA/LB

The marine terminals operators have known for years that ship sizes and container volume would be increasing, yet they did NOTHING to prepare their yards for the increase. Proper yard and vessel planning has been hampered by the short-sighted business decisions of management and supervision. Every longshoreman understands that if there is no room in the yard to deck and park containers; we obviously cannot unload the higher container volume efficiently. Too bad that PMA and its member companies have problems understanding this simple concept.

Chassis shortage? More like chassis MISMANAGEMENT

Fix them…don’t scrap them!!

The shipping lines have divested themselves of their own chassis for one reason: To subvert ILWU Maintenance and Repair jurisdiction. When the key to moving containers out the gate efficiently is the presence of good order chassis to mount those containers on, why in the world would you sell those chassis to a third party? Not for efficiency! The employers sold their chassis and once again, a bad business decision causes more congestion. While piles of chassis remain unused due to the employer’s unwillingness to allow ILWU mechanics to fix them, it is the PMA that blames the ILWU and labels us as a “poor workforce.” The employers and PMA need to stop with the name calling and blame game and allow the ILWU to do our job. Let’s get back to fixing chassis and delivering containers.

PMA Unilaterally cutting Ship gangs

At a time when the employers should be working maximum ship gangs on the larger vessels they made ANOTHER bad business decision.  They decided on their own to limit each vessel to 2 and sometimes 3 gangs. HUH??  More cargo, bigger ships and they order less labor to do it? That makes no sense whatsoever! Again the employers and PMA are making decisions that are bad for our Ports and bad for the industry and all they have to say is “it’s the ILWU’s fault.” The employers are engaging in a slowdown by handcuffing our workforce and worsening the congestion in the Port of LA and LB and have the nerve to blame US!

The ILWU is the best longshore workforce in the world and we will not stand by and allow multi-national shipping lines and corporate marine terminal operators to destroy our industry, our communities and our jobs. While the ILWU keeps working and driving the national economy every day, the employers refuse to recognize their mismanagement and intend to drive our industry into the ground then blame it on the worker.

We shall not be divided…

We shall not be defeated…

We will stand in SOLIDARITY and in the end the ILWU will be victorious.

Fraternally,

Bobby Olvera, Jr. Mondo Porras Mark Williams

President Vice President Secretary/Treasurer

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