According to Local 13 Bulletin #25, the Grain Agreement was ratified with 88.4% of the members voting yes. (1,475 yes, 193 no, total 1,668)
Sounds impressive, 88.4% yes makes it sound like the longshoremen overwhelmingly approved the agreement.
Lets look at the facts. According to PMA the number of registered workers in each of the Locals who were allowed to vote is as follows:
- Local 4 – Vancouver, WA – 194
- Local 8 – Portlandia, OR – 441
- Local 19 – Seattle, WA – 839
- Local 21 – Longview, WA – 252
- Local 23 – Tacoma, WA – 823
That is a total of 2,549 registered members eligible to vote, of which 1,668 voted. That means 65% of the eligible members voted.
1,475 of the 2,549 voted yes, so 57% of the eligible voters, voted yes.
There are 11,342 registered members in the bargaining unit, of which 1,668 voted. Than means 14.7% of the eligible members voted.
1,475 of the 11,342 voted yes, so 13% of the bargaining unit voters, voted yes.
What that says to me is that 13% of the bargaining unit approved a Grain Agreement.
A historically bad Agreement, of which the UCLA Center for Social Theory and Comparative History says;
“The ILWU’s accord with the PNGHA would give back to the employers virtually all of the gains in work rules and shop floor powers that the union had wrung from them during many decades of struggle in northwest grain, as well as in longshore.
The union would lose control over the hiring hall, the foundation of its power. The companies would get to hire from a list of workers that they had pre-approved.”
The once mighty “democratic” ILWU is now being run (into the ground) by 13% of the members, and leadership that lies like rugs.
Too bad, so sad; Harry would be very disappointed to see what his Union has become.
UCLA article on Grain Agreement