Occupy the EGT

Join ani and Lyn with their guests to discuss how on-going struggles are relating to the Occupy Movement.

Arlo Stone is involved with Occupy Portland, and is currently working with Occupy the EGT, an action in solidarity with the Longview ILWU.  The Longview ILWU has been engaged in struggle against the huge union-busting corporation EGT, which has a grain ship scheduled to come to Longview within the next couple of weeks.  They have asked that "friends of labor and the 99% everwhere" support them is this struggle.

Nora Callahan is the Executive Director of the November Coalition.  She has just returned from a 5-weeks spent with Occupy DC.

We'll also hear an update of other actions coming up for Occupy, including Friday's Occupy the Courts, a national day of action to demonstrate against corporate personhood on the anniversary of the Citizen's United decision; January 25th: A day of solidarity with Tahrir Square on the 1st anniversary of their uprising; an action against the NDAA on February 3rd, and F-29 A day of action to shut down corporations (on February 29th)-- to name but a few. 

Length: 60:00 minutes (54.93 MB)

Longshore workers in Longview, Washington are fighting an historic battle to save their union, the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) local 21.  EGT, a huge multinational grain trading corporation, is trying to load the first ship at their new high tech terminal with non-ILWU scab labor.  Host Jamie Partridge interviews OCCUPY Portland spokesperson, Kari Koch, about the massive caravan now being organized in response to the call from local 21 for solidarity. 

6:29 minutes (8.91 MB)

I would like to express my strong support for the struggle of the ILWU workers not only to protect their rights, but also to take a long step towards reversing the corporate offensive that is undermining American society, a treacherous attack against those on whom the fraction of 1% have relied to gain their extraordinary wealth and power.  

A generation ago, as the lethal process was getting underway, the head of the UAW, Doug Fraser, criticized business leaders for having “chosen to wage a one-sided class war in this country -- a war against working people, the unemployed, the poor, the minorities, the very young and the very old, and even many in the middle class of our society,” and for having “broken and discarded the fragile, unwritten compact previously existing during a period of growth and progress.”

The consequences of the one-sided class war are before our eyes, and will become worse unless the population takes action, vigorously and soon, as the Longshoremen of Longview are doing today with such admirable courage and determination.

Noam Chomsky

UA Local 393, San Jose, CA

January 16th, 2012

U.A. Local 393 Resolution adopted by unanimous vote January 11, 2012

Whereas, EGT, a joint venture led by multinational grain giant Bunge, agreed to hire union Longshoremen when accepting millions in taxpayer funds to build a huge new grain exporting terminal at the Port of Longview WA, but once the terminal was built has tried to void its contract and refused to hire ILWU labor. With the use of brutal police and courts and 220 arrests in the 225 member ILWU Local 21, EGT has managed to get enough scab grain across picket lines into the new terminal that EGT appears poised to load a ship soon in violation of their agreement with the port; and

Whereas, a solidarity caravan of thousands of union members and community activists -- endorsed by ILWU Locals 10 and 21, the S.F. and Cowlitz County (Longview) labor councils and many others -- is being organized to support our brothers and sisters in Longview, for an emergency mass protest when requested to do so, to confront union-busting by Wall Street on the Waterfront; and

Whereas, according to Longshore & Shipping News, within a month, the empty grain ship will be escorted by armed U.S. Coast Guard vessels and helicopters, from the mouth of the Columbia River to the EGT facility. The Coast Guard is an integral part of the US Armed Forces, operating under the Department of Homeland Security (except when engaged in combat operations abroad, as it did in Iraq, when it operates under the Navy); and

Whereas, this is the first known use of the US military to intervene in a labor dispute on the side of management in 40 years -- not since the Great 1970 Postal Strike when President Nixon called out the Army and National Guard in an (unsuccessful) attempt to break the strike. The use of the Armed Forces against labor unions is something you expect to see in a police state. This is part of a disturbing trend where the US military, acting as enforcers for the 1%, is poised to be used against our own people, as exemplified by the new law allowing the military to imprison US citizens indefinitely without trial; and

Whereas, the US military, which has been oppressing, bombing and threatening other nations [a military that's paid for with the workers' taxes] is now being used against us, against American working people and our unions. To quote ILWU international President Robert McEllrath: "ILWU's labor dispute with EGT is symbolic of what is wrong in the United States today. Corporations, no matter how harmful the conduct to society, enjoy full state and federal protection while workers and the middle class get treated as criminals for trying to protect their jobs and communities."

Therefore be it Resolved, that Plumbers and Fitters Local 393 in San Jose, California condemns in the strongest terms the announced use of US Armed Forces (Coast Guard) to provide an armed sea and air escort for the empty grain ship, which is due to call at the new EGT grain terminal, Port of Longview, Washington, to load scab grain for export to Asia. We condemn this use of the military as part of a union-busting campaign to lower the cost of labor on the waterfront and destroy the union;

And be it further Resolved, that Plumbers and Fitters Local 393 join with allies in other cities on the West Coast to participate in any press conferences and demonstrations that are organized to denounce this use of the military to intervene in a labor dispute on the side of Wall Street on the Waterfront;

And be it finally Resolved, that Plumbers and Fitters Local 393 circulate this resolution to U.A. Locals on the West Coast, to the South Bay AFL-CIO Labor Council, the California Labor Federation, as well as state labor bodies in Oregon and Washington, for concurrence and action, and urge labor leaders including Richard Trumka and Mary Kay Henry to take a strong stand against this brazen assault on our labor rights and civil liberties.

Occupy Oakland Caravan to Longview Preparation Meeting - Sunday 4.30 at 410 14th st

Hello Caravaners! Occupy Oakland will be caravaning  to Longview, WA to join Occupy Portland, Occupy Seattle, Occupy Olympia, and Occupy Longview to blockade the notorious EGT ship who is busting Longshormen jurisdication. EGT is a multinational grain exporter responsible for economic and enviromental devastation around the world. While the date for the arrival of the ship in Longview is uncertain, it IS approaching quickly!!  Here in Oakland we need to have a preparation meeting to get ready for our caravan. We will be meeting Sunday January 22nd at 410 14th st, between Broadway and Franklin, at 4.30 (after the GA).

In this meeting we will discuss everything - how we'll be alerted, how the actual caravan will be organized and who is going with who, where we'll meet, what to bring (and not bring), what to expect during the day of action in Longview, etc. We will be hosted by Occupy Longview and Occupy Portland who are very excited to take action with Occupy Oakland!

Every chance you can get, tell people to sign up or donate at on our website occupytheegt.org !!

Thanks, see you all on Sunday!

Join the caravan - Stop the ship!

Jan. 23 Demonstration Called to Defend Washington Dock Workers

Protest Use of U.S. Coast Guard for Union-Busting

PRESS CONFERENCE                                                                                    Issued: January 20, 2012

WHEN: Monday, January 23, 2012 [1:30 p.m.]

WHERE: 1111 Broadway, Oakland, CA Homeland Security Office

PROTEST DEMONSTRATION AND MARCH

WHEN: Monday, January 23, 2012 [2:30 p.m.]

WHERE: Federal Building 1301 Clay St., Oakland, CA

On Monday, January 23, the Occupy Oakland Labor Solidarity Committee and the Committee to Defend the ILWU will demonstrate to protest the use of armed Coast Guard cutters and helicopters to escort a grain ship which is to be loaded at the port of Longview, Washington at a terminal operated by EGT, a giant grain consortium. The terminal is being picketed by the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU). EGT, which built a new $200 million dollar terminal, is violating the port’s contract which provides for ILWU workers to perform waterfront labor.

In the SF Bay Area, ILWU Local 10, the SF Bay area longshore union which supports the demonstration, Occupy Oakland and the SF Labor Council are organizing a caravan to Longview to meet the ship upon arrival, possibly this month. Occupy movements in Longview, Portland and Seattle are also mobilizing supporters to go to Longview.  Solidarity with the Longview workers was one of the motivations behind the November 2 and December 12 port shutdowns in Oakland.

Local and state police are expected to be out in force. There have been 220 arrests of union supporters in Longview and fines of over $300,000 for blocking trains and trespassing on EGT port property. Introduction of the Coast Guard, however, is the first time that federal authorities have become involved in the dispute.

In a resolution adopted by the San Francisco Labor Council on January 9, the council condemned, “in the strongest terms,” this “first known use of the US military to intervene in a labor dispute on the side of management in 40 years.” In 1971, President Nixon called out the U.S. Army and National Guard in an attempt to break a postal strike. The Obama Administration’s planned action is strongly reminiscent of Reagan’s wholesale firing of PATCO workers, using 1248 military air traffic controllers to replace the union strikers in 1981. 

The use of the military against longshore workers illuminates the hypocrisy of the U.S. government which chides governments around the world for unleashing their armed forces against their own citizens.

Longshoreman Anthony Leviege, called the Longview union struggle “a watershed struggle for organized labor. No more PATCO’s!”.

The ILWU has a record of militant dock actions over contract issues and social protests including South African apartheid and the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.  Weakening of the ILWU and work standards it has negotiated over decades will lead to the erosion of conditions for all workers. If ever there was a time that the union cry "An injury to one is an injury to all” is relevant, that time is now.

-30-

Originally posted at Longshore & Shipping News.

Dear brothers and sisters:

We send this letter to express our support of your struggles with EGT in Longview. We are humbled by your passion and commitment to securing work for your members. All members and leaders in organized labor should take note of your efforts.

As members of the working class, we must stand together in all clashes between Labor and Employer. Labor must stop taking the wrong path as we have so many times in the past of fighting each other on behalf of the employing class. The struggle with EGT is a prime example. Early on, EGT was feeling pressure from all of labor for turning their back to the ILWU, but as we have all too often, and to our detriment, we have made this a fight of Labor versus Labor. This tactic by EGT has been played out by employers for all history and has been the leading cause of struggles of the Labor Movement.

The ILWU has been a beacon for all workers in the fight for a better life through conditions at work. The ILWU has long been the first members of Organized Labor to join a struggle and support workers around the world in their times of need. Now is the time for ALL of Organized Labor to stand with you in this time of need. The members of Carpenters Local 156 understand the gravity of this struggle as much more than gaining a few jobs for its members. This is a line in the sand where all of labor wakens to the attempt of the employing class to erode the rights and working conditions around the world by continuously pitting one group against another.

The members of Operating Engineers Local 701 have been the best friends and biggest supporters of Carpenters in Oregon and SW Washington. That relationship will continue as the members of Local 156 will support Local 701 in all of their struggles with management. With the benefit of this close relationship, we must be the ones to point out when one of us is choosing the wrong path. Local 156 appreciates the attempts of Local 701 to secure more work for its members. However, in this situation Local 701 is doing more harm long term, for its members and all the Labor Movement.

An injury to one is an injury to all. This must be something more than just a saying or a logo we print on stickers and shirts. When all of us in the struggle of the Working Class embrace this as a belief and not just a motto, refuse to take on a fight on behalf of Management, and make decisions with the concern for all in the Labor Movement, and not just in a short term benefit to a select few, as a goal, we will truly see the power we hold and the tremendous change we can affect with it.

Good luck in your continued struggle and best wishes for a positive outcome. Please know that you have the support and deepest gratitude of the members of Local 156 and all of us in the Labor Movement.

In solidarity,

Ben Basom

Recording Secretary

On behalf of the members and Executive Board of Carpenters Local 156

1125 SE Madison St., Rm. 206, Portland, OR 97214-3600

Phone: (503)239-5676, Fax: (503)239-5741 

Resolution in Support of Upcoming ILWU 21 Protest Against EGT Corporation

Approved by the General Membership of Laborers’ Local 483 on Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Whereas: the ILWU has always been at the forefront in the struggle for social justice and better working conditions. And,

Whereas: ILWU Local 21 has inspired working people worldwide. And, Whereas: ILWU jurisdiction is under an unprecedented attack. And,

Whereas: It is clear to all working people that EGT corporation is seeking to race to the bottom and destroy a long history of good family wage jobs throughout the area. And,

Whereas: Laborers’ local 483 recognize the blatant union busting tactics of EGT, and the danger of losing the ILWU as a powerful ally for the working class. And,

Be it resolved: that Laborers’ local 483 calls out to friends of labor and the “99%” everywhere to come to the aid of ILWU Local 21, and to support them in any way possible in their fight against multi-national conglomerate EGT. And,

Be it further resolved: that Laborers’ local 483 requests that anyone willing to participate in a community and labor protest in Longview, Washington in response to the arrival of the first EGT grain ship, do so when called upon by this body, who shall communicate to members, staff, and the community the date of the action when determined and, to the best of its ability, help provide outreach, transportation, and other relevant resources to guarantee a successful, massive mobilization in Longview.

Finally be it Resolved: that Laborers’ local 483 forward this resolution to all local unions, the Oregon and national AFL-CIO and Change to Win unions, labor councils and all other relevant organizations.

--Affiliated--

Oregon AFL-CIO | Northwest Oregon Labor Council | O.S.I. District Council of Laborers. Col. Pac. Building and Construction Trades Council | District Council of Trade Unions Representing Public Emloyees