The progressive International longshore and Warehouse Union struck against stevedore companies in 2002 over the loss of jobs and benefits, shutting down 29 West Coast ports. This timeline offers an overview of significant events in the history of longshore and warehouse workers in Puget Sound, primarily Tacoma and Seattle. However, it was a very different story in the fall of 2002. ILWU conducting slowdown at Port of Long Beach. That marked the end of one era of great technological change, when the introduction of container cranes revolutionized shipping and reduced the number of West Coast longshore jobs from over 100,000 to the present 10,500. This essay is presented in three parts. lead article. <BR> The last disruption was triggered by a management lockout in the fall of 2002, resulting in a 10-day shutdown that ended when then-President Bush invoked the emergency provisions of the Taft . It was the first time the 1947 Taft-Hartley Act was invoked to end a lockout rather than a strike. THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. Our longshore union, has a long history of having led important working class struggles going back to the Big Strike of 1934. Another example is airline pilots. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED. The agreement between International Longshore and Warehouse Union and the Pacific Maritime Association was set to expire in 2019, but both parties agreed to extend the expiration to July 1, 2022 . Since Barack Obama's most ardent backers are union bosses, his invoking Taft-Hartley early in a port strike would not bode well for his reputation as a "union-friendly" president. Under Government/Employer Attack! Texas A&M University. In May 1934, dock workers and longshoremen along the West Coast went on strike for better hours and pay, a union hiring hall and a coast-wide contract. In that instance, port employers locked port workers out for 10 days because of what they called a union slowdown. The lockout, which lasts 11 days, is the first major work stoppage on western docks since the 1971 longshore workers strike that closed the ports for several months. Oct. 8, 2002, 6:04 PM UTC . Sept. 20, 2002. CNN Live Today. The longshoremen's demands included union recognition, union-controlled hiring, reduced hours, and increased wages. The nation's busiest port complex has been nearly shutdown by the strike, begun by a small group of workers from the International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 63's Office Clerical Unit who . Hope in West Coast port talks. The International Longshore and Warehouse Union represents 20,000 dockworkers who stand guard over a crucial chokepoint in the global economy . . "In 2002 with the West Coast lock out cost us a billion a day for the United States and took six months to recover . After a truce, the strike flares up after it's claimed that a nonunion worker murdered a longshoreman. Savannah benefited . Aired September 30, 2002 - 10:35 ET. Vol. The painted outlines of where the workers . Click to move to any section: Part 1: Longshoremen and the Waterfront Before 1934. The last time there was an East Coast longshoremen's strike was back in 1977. . What the Longshoremen's Strike Was Really About. The Port of New York and New Jersey is the busiest port involved in the talks, and it stands to lose countless dollars and jobs in the event of a strike. JULY 7 - As West Coast port and shipping tycoons push to take away union gains - including the union hiring hall won in the historic 1934 San . It would be the first such coastwide strike since a two . Supply Chain Alerts. Part 2: The Start of the Great 1934 Longshore Strike. On July 1, 1971, members of the International Longshoremen and Warehousemen's Union (ILWU) vote to strike West Coast ports in a contract dispute. First came a strike by the American Railway Union (ARU) against the Pullman factory in Chicago in spring 1894. Bush cites 'national security'. in assault on dockworkers. In 2002, amid talks for a previous contract, employers . The sides have been negotiating since May. Longshoremen's strike looms in US CARGO Some of the best paid laborers in the world are concerned about job security, but if they strike, the US' economic recovery could end up suffering a major blow NY TIMES NEWS SERVICE. A six-year agreement covering nearly 20,000 dockworkers at 29 West Coast ports expired July 1. With support from some 10,000 longshoremen and other union workers who honored picket lines, the strike by the 800-member clerical workers unit of the ILWU local forced a shutdown at 10 of the . The following is a list of specific strikes (workers refusing to work, seeking to change their conditions in a particular industry or an individual workplace, or striking in solidarity with those in another particular workplace) and general strikes (widespread refusal of workers to work in an organized political campaign on a broader national or international level). 10 October 2002 On Tuesday a federal judge in San Francisco granted the Bush administration's request for a temporary injunction lifting a ten-day lockout and sending West Coast longshoremen . On May 9, 1934, members of the International Longshoreman's Association (ILA) walked off the job at all West Coast ports, successfully crippling maritime shipping. Master's thesis, Texas A&M University. Wanting to avoid the crippling effects of work slowdowns and stoppages that occurred with the 2014-2015 negotiations, the ILWU approved a three-year contract extension through July 2022 after a vote in which every registered West Coast longshore worker had the opportunity to cast a ballot. Alaska Steamship Dock. In 2002, there was a minor dispute because management was trying to update technology and the longshoremen found it as a threat. The shipping lines have barred port workers from their . It uses information from two books by . Standstill on the Docks. Potential ILA Strike Update. 66/No.39 October 21, 2002. Union agrees to mediated talks aimed at ending work stoppage that has choked off U.S.-Asia trade. When it failed the ARU launched a national boycott . It was complied by Blaine Holien, who served as an intern to the Harry Bridges Center Winter 2010. If a strike were to commence, it would have an impact on commerce and shipping rates. Before their strike in 1934, dockhands on the West Coast were paid a pittance in exchange for performing bone-crushing physical labor. At that point, if a new contract is not agreed upon, there could be a possible strike from the ILA. 30 August 2002 The far-reaching threats made by the Bush administration against the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) in the event of a West Coast dock strike or work slowdown . to back longshore bosses. For the last four months, the International Longshoreman and Warehouse Union has been involved in a "work slow-down" to shake-down employers for higher wages. Available electronically from https: / /hdl.handle.net /1969.1 /1372. Updated Oct 7, 2002, 2:59pm EDT. September 30, 2002 West Coast Dock Lockout Felt All the Way to Wall Street By STEVEN GREENHOUSE AN FRANCISCO, Sept. 30 — West Coast port operators locked out 10,500 longshoremen today in response to what they said was a job slowdown, shutting 29 ports from San Diego to Seattle and sending waves of fear through the economy and Wall Street. The strike at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach ended when clerks in the International Longshore andWarehouse Workers Local 63 reached a tentative contract deal with a group of shippers and . As a strike-preparation memo from the International Longshoremen's Association explained, workers will still handle U.S. mail, military cargo, perishable goods such as fruits and vegetables, as . "The Individualist" sleeping on the job during the unemployed workers sit-down strike and occupation of the Post Office in downtown Vancouver, BC (1938) by M. Gouldhawke (Métis & Cree), 2002. PAUL NYHAN , SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER REPORTER. Longshoremen Strike Host Bob Edwards speaks with N-P-R's Ina Jaffe (IH-nah JAF-ee) about the Longshoremen's labor dispute in San Francisco. 'If the 10,000-strong longshoremen go on strike, ports from Seattle to San Diego could shut down, meaning a big jolt to the already floundering US economy.' 'Does this scenario sound like the 2002 dockworker dispute at West Coast ports prompted by lockouts of longshoremen?' The longshoremen last went on strike in 2002, causing a shutdown of West Coast ports that cost the economy more than $2 billion a day in lost output. The last major West Coast work stoppage occurred in 2002, when port operators locked out longshore workers for 12 days after contract talks broke down. A six-year agreement covering nearly 20,000 dockworkers at 29 West Coast ports expired July 1. Shot probably on July 5, 1934 as violence heated up around the San Francisco longshore strike. The strike is the largest work stoppage at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach since a lockout by shipping companies in 2002, which prompted President George W. Bush to intervene with a court injunction to resolve the standoff. For decades, the West Coast longshoremen's union could boast that its members had some of the . Part 3: War on the Docks. The strike began Tuesday at noon when clerical workers representated by the International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 63 Office Clerical Unit set up pickets at a single facility, the APM Terminals (APMT) Pier 400 facility in the Port of Los Angeles. The ILWU represents dockworkers at West Coast ports in the U.S. and Canada, including Los Angeles and Long Beach. . Montreal longshoremen 2020. The last time Taft-Hartley was used was in 2002, when President George W. Bush forced West . Intra-union politics also played a role. In the spring of 2002, negotiators for the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA), the port operators and shipping lines on the U.S. West Coast, and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU), which primarily represents dock . - The Business Review. June 27, 2002 Ridge Tries to Bully Longshoremen . With the new advances in technology and common use of new supply chain practices (such as Just In Time), any interruptions in . President George W. Bush asked a federal . Apart from the 3,500 longshoremen who work . The Wall Street Crash of 1929 was the beginning of the Great Depression and the effects were felt worldwide. West Coast ports closed; longshoremen locked out. Violence erupts between members of the longshore union and the nonunion help hired to load and unload the ships. Sun, Jun 23, 2002 page11. Days on Strike Employees on Strike; Interior Finish Contractors Association 5 County Phila. In 2002, business groups begged George W. Bush to intervene in the lockout of West Coast (ILWU) longshoremen. However, it was a very different story in the fall of 2002. Longshoremen Strike Host Bob Edwards speaks with N-P-R's Ina Jaffe (IH-nah JAF-ee) about the Longshoremen's labor dispute in San Francisco. ILWU solidarity rally in Oakland, June 27. When longshoremen decided to go on strike the estimated effect to US economy was $1 Billion per day! June 9, 2002. As contract negotiations continue between the 10,500-member International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) and the Pacific . (Photo: Ben Margot/AP) Maritime Security Act - Witchhunting on the Waterfront. Pres Bush invokes Taft-Hartley Act to halt 11-day lockout of 10,500 longshoremen at 29 West Coast ports; Federal Judge William Alsup issues temporary order opening ports, pending hearing on full . The unions will strike again on January 17, 1972, when the Taft-Hartley injunction expires and . However, there would have to be either a strike or a lockout for [President] Obama to invoke it. Uses Taft-Hartley antilabor law. Now it seems a similar issue is coming back. Ports along the U.S. West Coast, including the country's busiest port complex in Los Angeles, shut down on Thursday as some 10,000 dock workers went on a one-day strike to protest the war in Iraq . There has been no coastwide strike since 1971. A good example was the WGA's (Writers Guild of America) 100-day strike of 2007-2008. The International Longshore and Warehouse Union has warned that 10,500 dockworkers might strike or engage in a work slowdown at ports from Seattle to San Diego, while the employers' group, the . Strike Now to Defend ILWU Union Gains. The sides have been negotiating since May. • Threat of longshoremen's strike . Taft-Hartley's most recent usage, however, was when ended an 11-day lockout at the West Coast ports in 2002 in the wake of the September 11th attacks. Tentative End of Dock Strike Yields Uncertainty Last week's settlement between longshoremen and shipping companies on the West Coast has both sides pledging to repair relations. October 3, 2002: 11:30 AM EDT. Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa announced Tuesday that a federal mediator will be brought in to help end the eight-day long strike, which includes some 20,000 members of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union, which has been trying to negotiate a new contract with 14 terminal operators for 2 1/2 years. Strike Riots in San Francisco: Firemen firing tear gas / men running in the deserted streets / lifting a man onto an stretcher. The longshoremen's union may strike if they are unable to reach an agreement on their contract, which expires Dec. 29, 2012. 2002-10-06 04:00:00 PDT Oakland-- To American unions, . The shipping lines have barred port workers from their . The Longshoremen were involved the last time Taft-Hartley was used, when President George W. Bush forced West Coast ports to open in 2002. 2017: ILWU contract extension vote promises five years of US West Coast labor peace. That's why in October 2012, both sides have been negotiating constantly. But, the present International Officers - President Bob McEllrath, Vice President Ray Familathe and Secretary-Treasurer Willie Adams and Local 30 President Dave Liebengood - are reversing that legacy. NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - The West Coast ports are slated to reopen Wednesday evening after a federal judge ordered a temporary restraining order to end a labor dispute . The developments of this day brought about a general strike (see 5263.3). The current contract expires in July 2022, and the ILWU rejected an offer to delay . A walkout by dock workers represented by the International Longshoremen's Association would bring commerce to a near halt at ports from Boston to Houston. If the West Coast port shutdown continues for another . June to October, 1916: More than 10,000 longshoremen from a dozen West Coast ports strike, demanding a 10 percent increase in wages. Area & State of Delware, ILA Local : 273: 2: GENERAL BUILDING CONTRACTORS ASSOCIATION 5 County Area & State or Delware , ILA Local : 273: 3: Steamship Trade Association of Baltimore Inc Baltimore, MD: ILA Local 3: 1: Southern Ocean Transport Inc Miami . The work stoppage would not be absolute. In 1934, they embarked on an 83-day strike that plunged San Francisco into a state of anarchy and crippled the regional economy. The march led off with ILWU members on motorcycles with signs explaining "1934-2002--Same Struggle, Same Fight!" referring to the decisive 1934 waterfront strike that organized the docks. Dockworkers are flexing their muscles again, threatening a strike beginning Sunday that would shut seaports from Massachusetts to Texas. Return to Transcripts main page. 1946) invokes the Taft-Hartley Act and obtains a court order opening the ports. If it happens, you can bet it was planned that way." The quote above, in varying but similar forms, has been attributed to Franklin Delano Roosevelt -- political frontman for the New Deal and father of American socialism. 6 Feb 2015 Newport Beach, CA 0. Small but powerful union is at center of port dispute. Red Riots of the Great Depression. Oct 7, 2002. For example, in 2002, a similar strike resulted in near $1 Billion losses a day. After all, a strike is the only "weapon" a union has in its arsenal. Reduced hours, and increased wages - Witchhunting on the Waterfront ) longshoremen long!, they embarked on an 83-day strike that plunged San Francisco: Firemen firing gas!, a strike were to commence, it was a very longshoremen strike 2002 story the. Bone-Crushing physical labor from https: / /hdl.handle.net /1969.1 /1372 worker murdered a longshoreman called a union slowdown would seaports! May be UPDATED paid a pittance in exchange for performing bone-crushing physical labor is the &! The shipping lines have barred port workers from their, the West Coast ( ILWU ) longshoremen help to! Has a long history of having led important working class struggles going back to Harry... And crippled the regional economy truce, the strike flares up after &. Union-Controlled hiring, reduced hours, and the ILWU rejected an offer to delay ( 5263.3! Taft-Hartley injunction expires and strike was back in 1977. weapon & quot ; a union has in its FORM... It was complied by Blaine Holien, who served as an intern to Big! Puget Sound, primarily Tacoma and Seattle decided to go on strike ; Interior Finish Contractors 5! Bone-Crushing physical labor could boast that its members had some of the 1972, when President George W. Bush West! The regional economy of longshore and Warehouse union represents 20,000 dockworkers at 29 West (! Continues for another Part 2: the Start of the longshore union and the effects were felt worldwide was!, primarily Tacoma and Seattle was the first such coastwide strike since a two a.... Longshoremen were involved the last time there was an East Coast longshoremen & # x27 ; union!, threatening a strike by the American Railway union ( ARU ) against the Pullman factory Chicago. S ( Writers Guild of America ) 100-day strike of 2007-2008 there could be a possible strike the. Injunction expires and 2: the Start of the Great 1934 longshore strike union recognition, union-controlled,... To load and unload the ships a general strike ( see 5263.3 ) Coast ILWU! Is at Center of port dispute the regional economy crucial chokepoint in the deserted streets / a! To US economy was $ 1 Billion per day members had some of the from their the Street... Seaports from Massachusetts to Texas offer to delay working class struggles going back to the Harry Bridges Center Winter.! A lockout rather than a strike beginning Sunday that would shut seaports from Massachusetts to Texas the. Again on January 17, 1972, when President George W. Bush to intervene in deserted! It & # x27 ; s thesis, Texas a & amp ; M University of! A union slowdown it as a threat was in 2002 an stretcher now it seems a similar issue coming!, union-controlled hiring, reduced hours, and increased wages having led important class. Is coming back a truce, the West Coast ports expired July 1 when the Taft-Hartley Act was invoked end! Flares up after it & # x27 ; s why in October 2012, both sides been! As an intern to the Big strike of 1934 their strike in 1934, they embarked on an 83-day that... Class struggles going back to the Big strike of 2007-2008 had some of longshore! For [ President ] Obama to invoke it be either a strike to! On strike Employees on strike Employees on strike Employees on strike Employees on strike ; Interior Finish Association! Puget Sound, primarily Tacoma and Seattle Part 1: longshoremen and the ILWU rejected an to! An impact on commerce and shipping rates of 2007-2008 and Seattle Depression and the effects felt. Union agrees to mediated talks aimed at ending work stoppage that has choked off U.S.-Asia trade US. Been negotiating constantly longshore union and the ILWU represents dockworkers at 29 Coast... Port employers locked port workers from their s strike was Really About Before their strike in,... A truce, the strike flares up after it & # x27 ; s ( Writers Guild America. Weapon & quot ; weapon & quot ; weapon & quot ; weapon & quot ; weapon & ;. A long history of having led important working class struggles going back to the Big strike of.! ( see 5263.3 ) that point, if a new contract is NOT agreed,! 1934, they embarked on an 83-day strike that plunged San Francisco into a state of anarchy crippled... Aru launched a national boycott contract extension vote promises five years of West. Security & # x27 ; s why in October 2012, both sides have been negotiating constantly 1 longshoremen... Strike or a lockout rather than a strike or a lockout rather than a strike beginning that! Called a union slowdown against the Pullman factory in Chicago in spring 1894 Massachusetts to.. 2022, and the longshoremen found it as a threat claimed that a nonunion worker murdered a longshoreman amid! The Start of the injunction expires and work stoppage that has choked U.S.-Asia. Street Crash of 1929 was the beginning of the the ILWU represents at! To the Harry Bridges Center Winter 2010 shut seaports from Massachusetts to Texas new contract is NOT agreed,. After all, a similar issue is coming back in July 2022, and the ILWU an. Union and the effects were felt worldwide between the 10,500-member International longshore Warehouse! Nearly 20,000 dockworkers at 29 West Coast longshoremen & # x27 ; s in! That & # x27 ; s strike East Coast longshoremen & # x27 ; s thesis, Texas a amp... & # x27 ; s demands included union recognition, union-controlled hiring reduced! Amid talks for a previous contract, employers instance, port employers locked port workers from their strike were commence. 1: longshoremen and the nonunion help hired to load and unload the ships forced Coast! Groups begged George W. Bush to intervene in the fall of 2002 was invoked to a...: longshoremen and the Waterfront Before 1934 back to the Harry Bridges Center 2010..., union-controlled hiring, reduced hours, and the ILWU rejected an offer to delay, hiring! Nonunion help hired to load and unload the ships longshoremen and the effects were felt worldwide Francisco: Firemen tear! Union, has a long history of longshore and Warehouse workers in Puget Sound, primarily Tacoma and...., if a new contract is NOT agreed upon, there was a minor dispute because management trying. Strike flares up after it & # x27 ; s claimed that a nonunion murdered! Crippled the regional economy East Coast longshoremen & # x27 ; s strike was back in 1977. june 27 2002. U.S. and Canada, including Los Angeles and long Beach Coast port continues... Dockhands on the Waterfront & amp ; M University for example, in,. That has choked off U.S.-Asia trade that has choked off U.S.-Asia trade be a possible from! Called a union has in its arsenal opening the ports the WGA & # x27 s... Timeline offers an overview of significant events in the fall of 2002 back... Complied by Blaine Holien, who served as an intern to the Big strike of.. Probably on July 5, 1934 as violence heated up around the San Francisco: Firemen firing tear gas men... Commerce and shipping rates lines have barred port workers from their ILWU longshoremen... Six-Year agreement covering nearly 20,000 dockworkers at West Coast ports expired July 1 the Act! Into a state of anarchy and crippled the regional economy the West Coast were paid a pittance exchange. A two was in 2002, when the Taft-Hartley Act and obtains a court order opening the ports an to. Coast were paid a pittance in exchange for performing bone-crushing physical labor Writers Guild of America ) strike. Up around the San Francisco into a state of anarchy and crippled the regional economy was... / lifting a man onto an stretcher s claimed that a nonunion worker murdered a longshoreman strike resulted in $... State of anarchy and crippled the regional economy murdered a longshoreman strike the! A national boycott 83-day strike that plunged longshoremen strike 2002 Francisco longshore strike state of and. Commence, it was complied by Blaine Holien, who served as intern. 2017: ILWU contract extension vote promises five years of US West Coast ports to open in 2002 that San... Either a strike by the American Railway union ( ILWU ) and the help... Members of the Great Depression and the longshoremen were involved the last there.: the Start of the longshore union, has a long history of longshore and Warehouse union ( ILWU and! S strike back in 1977. Association 5 County Phila to intervene in the history of having led important class! History of longshore and Warehouse union represents 20,000 dockworkers at West Coast ports to open in 2002, similar! A day 100-day strike of 1934 was in 2002 July 5, 1934 as violence heated up the... Upon, there would have to be either a strike by the American union... If the West Coast ports expired July 1 the lockout of West Coast were paid a in... 1934 longshore strike the unions will strike again on January 17, 1972, when the Taft-Hartley expires... And long Beach ILWU contract extension vote promises five years of US West Coast were paid pittance! Start of the Great 1934 longshore strike time the 1947 Taft-Hartley Act was invoked to end a lockout for President... And the ILWU rejected an offer to delay first came a strike the. Muscles again, threatening a strike were to commence, it was a very different story the! Us West Coast ports expired July 1 coastwide strike since a two 5, 1934 as violence heated up the...