Re: Shanghi in Los Angeles Port
Bill Mongelluzzo, Associate Editor | Dec 3, 2011 7:07PM GMT
The Journal of Commerce Online - News Story
Ports/Terminals | Labor | United States
Ruling says dock workers can't honor picket lines of clerical workers
The waterfront arbitrator in Southern California ordered longshoremen back to work over the weekend, ruling they could not honor picket lines established by striking office clerical workers at marine terminals in Los Angeles-Long Beach.
Members of the Office Clerical Union of International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 63 have been working without a contract since June 2010. Negotiations broke down last week, and the OCU placed pickets at the Yusen terminal and three terminals operated by Ports America.
Although the 580-member OCU is affiliated with the larger ILWU, the office workers have a separate contract and their own officers who handle contract negotiations. When the officer workers began picketing the terminals shortly before noon on Friday, dock workers left their jobs.
The Pacific Maritime Association, which represents the terminal operators, asked the area arbitrator to rule on the validity of the pickets. The arbitrator, appointed jointly by the PMA and ILWU, ruled the OCU demonstrators did not constitute a “bona fide†picket line, said Stephen Berry, the attorney who represents the employers negotiating with the OCU.
The decision to order the dock workers back to their jobs at the end of the day shift on Friday is a blow to the OCU negotiators. The OCU would have achieved extra leverage in their contract negotiations if cargo-handling longshoremen were allowed to honor the picket lines.
The OCU last year attempted a similar job action and the arbitrator at that time also ruled the picket line the OCU established was not legitimate.
Bottom line looks like I just might receive my KK hopefully soon.
Dennis if your reading this I hope it is good news.
Kind Regards
Captain Greg & Kathy Goodwin