Tessier's ILWU Labor Relations Newsletter
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
The PMA responded to Bobby O’s PR media blitz on Friday, by publishing their statistics on the skilled operator jobs cut by Local 13’s 8.51 plan to dispatch only “certified” drivers.
Where are all the articles defending the Union, Bobby?
Time for another media blitz?
Might as well get something for the $30,000 per month you are paying Local 13’s PR firm.
A firm recommended by the Local’s million dollar a year lawyers, and hired by Bobby without agreement from the Local 13 Publicity Committee as he claims.
Tonight, Dean mcGrath, President of Local 23, Tacoma, WA, has called all the members to the dispatch hall for a meeting at 5PM to protest the lack of night work caused by his “work safely” at 20 moves per hour program initiated on October 31, 2014, and he invited KING5 News.
Did Dean and Bobby miss the written memo put out calling for a gag order on speaking to the press?
Here is a copy of the 1934 Arbitration Decision that became the foundation of the current PCLCD.
1934 Arbitration Award and background
The Employers brought in the President of the ILA and claimed that he represented the West Coast longshoremen.
The West Coast longshoremen voted to be represented by their own strike committee and longshoremen in every Port on the West Coast, except Tacoma who stayed ILA until 1958, voted to be represented by the ILWU and Harry Bridges.
The Employers keep asking for the Union to allow them to do something that they have had the right to do since 1934; introduce labor saving devices.
From the start the ILWU made it a point to work with their employers, rather than against them, but they also made it clear they wanted to be part of the process and not dictated to, a demand that has bothered some employers to this day.
Knowing history helps to understand who the players are and what they are up to.
The ILWU needs the PMA and the PMA needs the ILWU, it is a mutual admiration society that has worked since 1934.
The last guy to head up PMA tried to change the relationship. He is gone and they are still here.
This will be worked out in short order, because it is both parties interests to do so.
Hang in there and support your negotiating team.
Here is a copy of the FMCS announcement regarding the agreement by both PMA and the ILWU to enter into Mediation.
Also, here is a great article from the JOC explaining the role of the Federal Mediator in the bargaining process.
Congratulations to both parties for taking this positive step.
Local 13 took to the news cameras today to request PMA place orders and the Union will fill them, in response to PMA’s announcement that they only plan to order 1 gang per ship.
PMA responded by issuing the following press release. PMA-Press-Release-01-02-2015 & PMA-Fact-Sheet-on-ILWU-Slowdowns-01-02-2015
Stop talking and start negotiating. Both sides need to stop chasing their tails, and work out a contract.
According the following article published on the Journal of Commerce’s web page, JOC-Article1-1-15, ILWU representative Adan Ortega released a letter sent to Macy’s related to the Employer’s announcement that they plan to start ordering only 1 gang per vessel.
Why write to Macy’s, and why release this kind of information? How about releasing the details of the PMA offer that was rejected by the Union?
PMA’s move is bold, and on first glance seems like something that may motivate the Union into changing their strategy and possibly agree to mediation, however it is a little like cutting their nose to spite their face.
Because PMA has refused to register new longshoremen they are employing a great number of casuals, on a daily basis.
Cutting gangs on the night shift, will cause the night workers to work on the dayside and the casuals will lose their work to the registered longshoremen who make the switch.
The Union has the ability to shift and shrink in a way that allows them to continue doing what they are doing.
PMA on the other hand needs the casual hours to fund the benefits that get paid to registered workers. PMA depends on the assessments on casual hours, for benefits that they are not eligible for, to fund the money they pay toward the registered workers benefits. No casuals will not hurt the Union, but will cost the Employers.
Both sides need to quit playing games, and get back to the table and hammer out their differences, for everyone’s sake.
Because the ILWU has chosen to keep what they are doing a secret from their membership, including their caucus delegates, the workers have been forced to get their information from their Employers, and the self-proclaimed rumor captains.
There are members who are using the situation to whip up the rank and file because they are running for office in a few weeks, and they know if they put on a good show they are all but guaranteed re-election.
Dean mcGrath, Local 23 President, has broken from the pact not to talk to the press and done several interviews.
Looks like Dean likes the $167,000 that he is getting paid, and has decided to jump in to help the negotiators and make himself look good to his membership. He is acting like he has aspirations for higher offices in the Union, based on who he is hanging with and what he is saying.
Bobby Olvera Jr., Local 13 President, has been going to the dispatch hall to whip up the troops and make himself look good to his membership. He is up for re-relction in March 2015.
Bobby is telling the rank and file that PMA is acting badly, disrespecting their negotiators, and that PMA walked away from the table and is refusing to bargain.
So far, rumors being spread on the docks include:
PMA demanding that members pay 20% of the cost of the medical benefits.
Employers demanding manning reductions.
No pay increase being offered.
Employers demanding elimination of some safety rules.
It is interesting that the members accept what ever they are told as the truth and all say they are ready to strike, but not one can say what their strike issue is.
Seems to me that the ILWU at least owes it to their members to explain what the issues are and adhere to their own founding principle to give the members all the information and they will do the right thing.
This mornings rumor is that next week the Employers are going to only order 1 gang per ship.
If that is the case, at least PMA will no longer be able to blame the ILWU for the slowdown.
Happy New Year to both sides, now git er done.