Local 23’s ILA roots were showing at last night’s Union Meeting in Tacoma (Fife).
When it came time to discuss the NLRB charges related to the Proposed Settlement Agreement, one of Local Caucus Delegates took the microphone and started bad mouthing the Local 13 member whose rights were violated without the member being present, something that is not allowed in Local 13.
Although no one told the speaker to not talk about a member who is not present, one member did point out that the speaker was the one that refused to allow the Local 13 member to work at the SIM, that the Executive Board and every other Official said they thought the member should be able to work.
Against the recommendation of the Executive Board the speaker and the past President presented a motion to pass a rule to prevent the Local 13 member from working, then had the membership approve it.
That rule was challenged and the NLRB found merit to the charges.
If the speaker would have kept his mouth shut and followed the Executive Board recommendation, there would have been no NLRB charge.
Lessons learned: it is not nice to talk about people who are not there to defend themselves, the Executive Board does know what they are doing, and longshoremen are not in the business of hurting other longshoremen.
Now all members, including Local 23 members, can work at the SIM if they ever get put on no-dispatch by PMA.