The American Dream is Still Possible

Recent Union Contract Negotiations at Ports of Los Angeles, Long Beach Show How
By Robert “Bobby” Olvera Jr., Longshore Worker and President of ILWU Local 13

A recent story aired by National Public Radio affiliate KPCC about the International Longshore and Warehouse Union, Local 13 (ILWU, Local 13), during contract negotiations with the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA), called us the union that sustains the “American Dream” in San Pedro and the greater Los Angeles and Long Beach harbor area.  The truth is, all Americans deserve what we have achieved for our communities and our families.

Unfortunately, across the country there have been increased efforts to denigrate the image of workers and the activism in their unions in protecting their gains. We witnessed it firsthand as shipping companies waged a campaign attempting to distort the public’s perception of ILWU’s work ethics.

During contract negotiations, the PMA tried to persuade the news media and the public that ILWU, Local 13, was intentionally slowing down work and preventing  workers from filling available jobs.  PMA’s strategy made sense—given that the truth was the exact opposite. Since July 2014, ILWU, Local 13 repeatedly requested that our members be allowed to work all shifts to catch up with the backlog after the holidays.  Even before the negotiations, we had been demanding that crane operator training be accelerated, and that shippers work with us to figure out a way to let our mechanics fix a growing pile of broken chassis.  The chassis are key in moving cargo containers (which have no wheels) when they come off the ships.

Six to eight work crews are normally assigned to unload large cargo vessels, with each crew comprised of 16 workers. As soon as our contract expired in July 2014, shipping companies began to reduce crews, by up to 50 percent until Jan. 2, 2015.  On Jan. 2, crews assigned to nighttime unloading of vessels were reduced by over 80 percent.  It was an obvious ploy to set us up for failure, expecting 16 workers to do the work of 96 and then to blame us for the backlog.

With our members facing sharply reduced hours, the goal of employers was to get workers to turn on one another and pressure the union’s leadership to make contract concessions. Instead, we pulled together, fighting for our American dream, working hard and keeping our word to make the ports and the economy work for all. As night shift members were left without work by employers, day shift members, who were already facing up to 50 percent in work reductions, made way for night shift workers to take over some day shifts.  Our members understood that making the American dream a reality is sharing the pain when times are tough and ensuring everyone makes it through.

Our motto that “An injury to one is an injury to all” doesn’t stop with our workers. While ILWU Local 13 faced smaller paychecks over the past 9 months, the communities in San Pedro, Wilmington and Long Beach were also negatively impacted. Approximately 60 percent of dock workers live in the greater port area so small businesses within the community lost money too.

We’re proud to say that the community always had our back. They came out by the thousands in a show of solidarity on January 22nd when we participated in a rally with Los Angeles Councilman Joe Buscaino calling for normal working hours. Thousands of signs supporting our workers also made their way into storefronts across San Pedro, Wilmington, Long Beach and even Lakewood.  Members of Congress like Janice Hahn and Alan Lowenthal joined with State Senator Isadore Hall, and Assembly members Mike Gipson and Patrick O’Donnell, and came to the hiring hall to encourage thousands of ILWU Local 13 members.

During our struggle with the PMA and its members who represent some of the world’s most profitable offshore companies, we never forgot the other American workers who were being impacted by the refusal by employers to unload cargo. We knew that their refusal was negatively impacting warehouse workers and small businesses from the Inland Empire here in California, to Indiana.  While some folks unfortunately believed the public relations smears against ILWU, we were grateful for many who saw our plight as connected to their own.  This included companies such as Azteca Milling in California and Doggie Design in South Carolina.

Throughout the contract negotiations, our wages were called into question several times in an attempt to say that union workers are paid too much. In reality, all Americans deserve to have what we have—a wage that allows us to adequately provide for our families, to pay our bills, and to save for our children’s college education.  And wages earned by our members are invested right back into the local economies because our salaries go to paying for mortgage or rent, food, clothing, utilities and other items that are purchased right here in Southern California.

Instead of blaming workers who are paid a good wage, we should stand up for every worker in this country to ensure we all earn enough to provide for our families. When unions’ membership was up in the 1950s, America’s families had the highest quality of life, and the middle class was at its strongest.   In the 1950s there was no “One Percent” conversation. It was one America, with no huge income gap existing between Americans. That was the American dream and we can still have it if we support our workers and unions.

We should stand up for access to adequate healthcare coverage and we should stand up for safer working conditions and training that keeps up with the latest technology and keeps jobs right here in this country. That’s what the American dream is and we should all stand up for it!