LA Union Troublemakers Meet Plan More Trouble for the Bosses

In the largest LA labor meeting to date, more than 450 labor and union activists participated in the March 11 LA Labor Notes Troublemakers School.

Dozens of unions and union locals participated in 20 workshops and major plenary sessions.  The largest delegation came from the International Longshore and Warehouse Union with 55 delegates. However, the Teamsters (who are facing a battle with UPS as their labor contract expires on July 31), the International Association of Theatrical and Stage Employees, Starbucks Workers United, Amazon Labor Union (organizers from the Inland Empire), United Autoworkers (UAW) strikers from the UC System, UNITE-HERE, United Teachers of LA and the Communication Workers of America also showed with significant representation.

Retired ILWU Organizing Director Peter Olney moderated the workshop entitled, “Building Solidarity and Power in the Logistics Chain.

Panelists included Jared Hamil of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters who discussed the upcoming UPS contract fight and efforts to eliminate/reduce the number of minimum wage part-time workers who only received benefits after nine months, ending forced overtime and 60-hour weeks during covid while “UPS made billions and all we got was Covid.” UPS temporary workers deliver packages in their own cars and many workers are spied upon, tracked and pushed to speed up truck loading or deliveries. He reiterated Teamster contract language that allows them to honor picket lines, as they did during the UC strike.

Carey Dall, past director of internal organizing for the Brotherhood of Maintenance and Way Employees Division  of the IBT gave a thorough view of the many challenges facing the railway sector.

John Fageaux, President, ILWU Local 63 Office Clerical Unit described planning and information’s role in the supply chain.

Mike Vera of the Inland Boatmen’s Union—the marine division of the ILWU added that “While nonunion workers are one of the biggest challenges, we also face a concern with competition amongst maritime unions.   Without the ability and the willingness to put a hurt on the companies both financially and reputationally our leverage is minimal. Unless you have the power of disruption, and you use it, we can’t realistically develop any strategic plan that carries weight. Look at the power the academic workers at UAW flexed over the UC system.48,000 workers walked off the job and were heard.

“How do we build power in the supply chain? We can only look to strengthen our bonds, our relationship and our fight together with the dockworkers, marine clerks and clerical workers of the ILWU.  We should support the efforts of the truckers at the front gate of the shipping terminals and those that haul goods to and from distribution centers and warehouses.

We need to fight alongside workers like Nannette Placentia, organizer of the Amazon Labor Union in the Inland Empire and we need to raise hell alongside our brothers and sisters of the railways when the federal government interferes with their right to collectively bargain.

As we look towards the future it would benefit all of us to collaborate on the challenges that automation brings to each of our sectors. 

We should work hard to identify, share and support each other in any opportunities that may arise as energy transitions away from fossil fuels to cleaner alternative energy.”

Panelist Nannette Plascencia, lead organizer for the United For Change union working with the  Amazon Labor Union at ONT8 in the Inland Empire,  told the large workshop “We’ve been signing authorization cards to lead to an election.   Workers are signing cards because “We have no say in what is going on, we deal with Time Off Task to go to the restroom or the challenges to make quotas…We go in groups to the General Manager for help but there is no response…if we unionize, they have to listen to us.”

“Management has union busters in all departments “talking to us while we are working…a captive audience telling us that “If you sign a card, you will lose your benefits wages and you need to protect your privacy from the union.”  “Despite harassment and firings of union organizers, as they did at JFK8, I am not going to stop.”

The “Youth Rising” workshop was inspiring and reflected the growing unionization drives at non-traditional worksites by young people, often excluded from participating in their union or ignored altogether by the major AFL-CIO affiliates.

Veronica Gonzalez is a Starbucks Workers United organizer, a seasoned fighter. A 2-year veteran, reported that over 200 stores have organized, but they have not been able to force management into negotiations. “We have three internal committees to build class consciousness, to explain to baristas how they are exploited and they have the power to stand up for themselves.”

“We need to get more people involved with collective action, stage strikes and out-front pickets…The SWU and ALU are not alone — there is power in numbers. We are fighting for a living wage, not digital tipping that Starbucks has given to non-union stores a concession to buy them off.”

Ivan Baez has been an organizer for Amazon Labor Union in ONT8 (Inland Empire) until he was foired for union activity. 

“Although I got fired from Amazon for union activity, I shall not stop and am part of the outside the warehouse support for the inside organizing in the Inland Empire. We are fighting for my job thru a NLRB unfair Labor Practices lawsuit filed by the ALU.

“There are scores of warehouses we need to organize and we need to utilize strikes as a powerful weapon. We have organized walkouts due to horrible warehouse working conditions. Laws are against us but maybe it is time to break some laws and fight for the entire working class.”

The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) has historically been a model of a white male job trust that had consciously excluded women and people of color. But trade union demographics have changed significantly, especially in Los Angeles, under the impact of civil and women’s rights movements and implementation of affirmative action .

This is exemplified by Crystal Herrera, organizer of Young Workers. As a young, Mexican and Black woman, member of the LGBTQ community, she didn’t want to wait for somebody else to decide it was her turn, so after graduating from IBEW 11’s apprenticeship she fought for and won a seat on its E Bd. When, at a young worker conference, older workers in attendance asked how to activate young workers, Crystal suggested they send young workers instead.

Another component of the conference was the discussions around a delegation of LA union leaders and activists going to Cuba at the invitation of the Cuban Trade Union Federation. Half a dozen active unionists in the LA Hands Off Cuba Committee distributed a sample resolution against the US blockade of Cuba and to remove Cuba from Washington’s list of “terrorist” nations.  More than a dozen unionists signed up to help in this effort.

The following unions signed off on the resolutions, including:

Inland Boatmen’s Union of Pacific (IBU), ILWU 2021 International Convention, Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance (APALA), California Federation of Labor (End the Blockade), Coalition of Labor Union Women, Sacramento Central Labor Council, Washington State Labor Council, and others.