While the ILWU was in Hawaii holding their Convention and Longshore Division Caucus, Bobby O Jr’s equalization con was put into play.
A new category of “super duper longshoreman” has been created.
If your are on the Crane Board you are now guaranteed 10 hours of crane pay no matter what job you do, as long as the crane jobs get covered.
You will get paid a lump sum payment for the 2 hours, plus differential if applicable, and no hours will be reported so you don’t have to add them to your total for dispatch and the Employers don’t have to pay the benefits assessments on the extra hours they pay to these super duper longshoremen.
This is Bobby O’s and Frank Ponce’s equalization formula designed to enhance the solidarity between the steady men and the hall men.
In order to sweeten the pot for the steady men, Bobby and Frank also eliminated the secondary crane board so only trained/certified longshoremen are eligible to take crane jobs.
Now the steady men can go out right after the Crane Board and get more hours that do not count against their guarantee, in addition to the extra $55/day they get just for being steady.
Too bad for the other Skill III equipment operators who are good enough to earn top pay, but not good enough to get the super duper guarantees given to the Crane Board.
Bobby’s and Frank’s new solidarity campaign is off to a flying start and should help the organizers who are out there selling the benefits of being a member of the ILWU.
The agreement to pay the new super duper longshoremen is in the Local 13 Port Supplement the membership approved, without even being given a copy.
More to come…..
We are back.