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Local 56 members ratified a new agreement with Ocean Blue Environmental Services. This
victory was achieved with the assistance of ILWU Locals 13, 63, 94, the International
Organizing Department, SCDC, and the support of many local and state elected officials,
according to Local 56 President Albert Ramirez. The agreement was signed on October 15.
Ocean Blue contracts with local governments and other public agencies for environmental clean-up. They work in the Ports of LA and Long Beach and also provide environmental services for public agencies inland such as homeless encampment clean-ups, removal of hazardous waste, and biohazards, and emergency response clean-up.
Ramirez said the four-year contract includes wage increases, the addition of Juneteenth holiday pay, an increase in meal per diem, and an increase in the employers’ financial support for the Local 56 dispatch hall and the dispatcher.
“The agreement is a good foundation to build on for future contracts,” Ramirez said. He added that the agreement could not have been reached without the assistance of the ILWU family.
“We’re a small, local with a small budget. We are grateful for the assistance from the
International and the ILWU locals here in the Harbor Area.” Ramirez said. “We demonstrated to the employers that the ILWU is serious. Local 56 members are not going to take the bare minimum on our contracts; we are going to be bold, and we’re going to be ambitious. We will also need to be vigilant because now that the contract is signed, we need to enforce it and ensure the employer doesn’t play any games.”
Ramirez added that strengthening Local 56’s contracts, expanding work opportunities for
members, and growing the local is vital to the lives of the members and the community.
“In the end, these are workers’ lives. If they don’t go to work, they don’t eat, they can’t pay their rent. They have families and children to support. There’s a social, and emotional components as well, with dignity at the workplace as well as the dignity of a paycheck.”
Ramirez said that Local 56 has three more contracts in the pipeline–ANCON Environmental,
NRC-Republic, and Patriot Environmental Services which will standardize contract language
and increase the involvement of elected officials who authorize public funds for emergency
response hazmat companies. The long-term fight over the next three years includes organizing new companies based on Local 56’s existing standards and ensuring Local 56 captures the work guaranteed under their contract language.
