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Welcome to the Coast Longshore Division Homepage
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| • | Democracy in Action at the 2009 Longshore Caucus in Seattle 
The ILWU Longshore Caucus is a democratic meeting of longshore workers who are elected by their fellow members to discuss issues and vote on solutions. We recently met in Seattle, WA, to chart our course for the coming year. Speaking at the microphone is Pacific Coast Pensioners Association President Rich Austin, a retired longshoreman from Everett, WA. Waiting for their turn to speak are Dan Imbagliazzo of ILWU Local 13 in LA/Long Beach, CA, and Melvin Mackay, President of ILWU Local 10 in San Francisco and Oakland, CA. Caucus photos by Lewis Wright, retired Local 63 marine clerk.
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| • | Report from the Safety Committee 
Tim Podue, Local 13 longshore worker who chairs the longshore division's Safety Committee, delivered the committee's report to the June 2009 Longshore Caucus. The heavy equipment in constant motion, along with noise on the docks, mean we have to vigilant about safety. According to federal statistics, longshore workers have a higher fatality rate than police officers and fire fighters. Our Safety Committee seeks ways to keep our fellow workers safe from injuries.
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| • | Caucus Honors Retiring Longshore Workers 
For the past four decades, Lawrence Thibeaux has earned a lot of respect on the docks as a longshoreman and elected union officer in Northern California. His fellow ILWU Local 10 members recently honored Brother Thibeaux (in the blue striped shirt) at the 2009 Longshore Caucus in Seattle. Many longshore workers from Oregon, Washington and California recalled how he has mentored us over the years. Several other retiring longshore workers were honored at the Caucus, including John Tousseau from Local 63 in Southern California, and Steve Hanson from Local 8 in Portland, OR.
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| • | Legislative Committee Celebrates Victories for Working Families 
Our Legislative Committee reported on the enormous success that members have had in electing candidates who care about working families issues like health care, good jobs and more. The 2008 campaign was the union's most ambitious voter education and mobilization effort to date, and resulted in many victories for working families. The Legislative Committee, from left to right: Max Vekich from ILWU Local 52, Lawrence Thibeaux from Local 10, Mike Mitre from Local 13, Willie Adams from Local 23 and International Secretary-Treasurer, Dawn Des Brisay from Local 40, and Peter Peyton from Local 63.
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| • | The trouble with TWIC 
The implementation of Transport Workers Identification Credential (TWIC) cards in seaports has caused hundreds of longshore workers and marine clerks to be unfairly denied work in the ports. The TWIC program has been plagued with problems from the beginning. Workers with prior criminal convictions—even those who have served their time and now have clean records—are ineligible for TWIC cards. So are workers who lack immigration papers; a requirement that has impacted some ILWU members and forced thousands of port truckers to lose their jobs. “We need to keep on top of Congress, TSA officials, and the Coast Guard to make sure people are getting fair hearings and have a chance to show that they’re not security risks,” said Leal Sundet of the Coast Committee. For more information about TWIC read the ILWU’s ‘white paper.’ | |
| • | Southland ILWU members march to honor new memorial 
Hundreds of longshore workers and their families joined port truckers, firefighters, and community members in San Pedro on May 15 to commemorate the 1934 waterfront strike that led to the founding of the ILWU. Marchers walked three miles down Harry Bridges Boulevard to Gibson Park to witness the inauguration of a new memorial honoring the martyrs who gave their lives in the '34 strike and all the other longshore workers who have died on the docks since the union was founded. Southern California Pensioners worked with Locals 13, 63, and 94 to build the memorial, which features a bronze bust of Harry Bridges.
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| • | Local 21 members cry foul on a waterfront company 
Robert Roden, Jake Ford, Chris Holter and Jason Davis are among the ILWU Local 21 members who are drawing attention to the business practices of Chinook Ventures, a company developing a private port facility in Longview, Wash. Local longshore workers say Chinook Ventures is taking advantage of the region's depressed economy by paying its employees substandard wages and violating environmental protection laws. The Washington Dept. of Ecology has fined Chinook Ventures $150,000 for air and water quality violations. In April an area standards picket in front of the company's waterfront headquarters drew more than 100 supporters from area unions and environmental organizations. Local 21 members say they will continue holding the company's feet to the fire until they see an improvement in the way Chinook Ventures treats workers and the environment.
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Local 10 member Lamont Kelly spoke for the ILWU at a protest in April against offshore oil drilling in California. While acknowledging that oil drilling has provided some jobs for ILWU members, Kelly questioned the need for more drilling, noting that the climate crisis requires the country to move forward with wind power, solar energy, and other renewables, including tidal and wave power projects that could supply a steady stream of well-paying union jobs. "I met all sorts of groups who want to work with the ILWU to fight for greener energy and union jobs," he said.
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About the Coast Longshore Division The Coast Longshore Division of the ILWU forms the core of the union and is comprised of 30 locals, divided among longshore workers, clerks and foremen. It was established in 1937, after the historic 1934 General Strike and after voting to disaffiliate from the International Longshoremen's Association (ILA). The Division is governed by the Longshore Caucus, a representative body of longshore workers, clerks and foremen elected by the membership. Annual meetings of the Longshore Caucus make decisions for the Coast Longshore Division by enumerating local officers' votes. Each local's total number of votes are proportionate to its size. The Coast Committee chairs and administers the Longshore Division Caucus.
The Longshore Caucus is the highest governing body of the Coast Longshore Division. One of its jobs is to meet before contract negotiations and develop a list of contract demands and improvements. The Caucus then elects from among its number a negotiating committee of rank-and-file longshore workers who remain in San Francisco during the course of negotiations. The negotiating committee also includes the International Officers and Coast Committeemen.
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