From: Ed Pearl [mailto:epearlag@earthlink.net]
Sent: Sunday, December 11, 2011 1:38 AM
To: Ed Pearl
Subject: Black, Latino & Labor Leaders in Phoenix: "We are One", Will Occupy
Shut Down All West Coast Ports?
From: Portside Moderator [mailto:moderator@PORTSIDE.ORG]
Sent: Saturday, December 10, 2011 12:25 PM
Black, Latino and Labor Leaders in Phoenix: "We are One"
By Pepe Lozano
People's World: December 6 2011
http://www.peoplesworld.org/black-latino-and-labor-leaders-in-phoenix-we-are
-one/
More than 1,000 labor, civil and immigrant rights activists met in Phoenix,
Ariz., last week during the "We Are One" summit hosted by the NACCP. The
historic conference was geared to fortify bonds between African American and
Latino communities throughout the nation, with a focus on creating an
economic agenda that bolsters both groups and strengthens all Americans.
"While we may come from different backgrounds, we all shape the American
dream," said Benjamin Todd Jealous, president and CEO of the NAACP, in a
statement. "The summit provides an opportunity to work together so we can
transform our dream into reality for all Americans."
Dedrick Muhammad, senior director of NAACPs economic programs and executive
director of the groups Financial Freedom Center said, "Throughout the
history of the NAACP, we have always recognized that economic justice is at
the foundation of social justice. We have come to Phoenix, Ariz. to
strategize and learn from our civil rights and labor rights partners."
"We Are One" was hosted by a coalition of labor and human/civil rights
organizations including the NAACP, National Council of La Raza, Labor
Council for Latin American Advancement (LCLAA), Service Employees
International Union, Council of Black Trade Unionists, Asian Pacific
American Labor Alliance, the AFL-CIO, and several other notable groups.
"This summit is so important from many different aspects because it brings
us together under one voice to say 'enough is enough,'" said Hector Sanchez,
executive director of LCLAA. "We need to fight together for one common
cause."
Sanchez said the summit was especially significant due to the fact it's
taking place in Arizona, the state that passed SB 1070 , the controversial
anti-immigrant law. He said he was impressed during opening remarks given by
national and historic African American leaders that passionately denounced
the recent wave of anti- immigrant laws passed by Republican state lawmakers
across the U.S.
"They understand this is a working class issue and they are in total
solidarity with the rights of undocumented workers," said Sanchez. "Their
words were very inspirational particularly coming from a community that
deeply understands the historic oppression and mistakes that the U.S. has
made toward our communities."
The summit is especially important, said Sanchez, because the nation is so
confused on the issue of immigration and people are facing the worst
economic crisis since 1929.
"But we need to have hope," said Sanchez. He highlighted the recent recall
of Russell Pearce, the Arizona Republican state senator who was the main
architect of SB 1070. "And this shows that there is hope. When we are
united, when we come together and when we show our power at the ballot box,
we can get things done."
Sanchez pointed out his group is building a unity campaign to build bridges
between Latinos and the African American community. "When it comes to social
issues, we are really facing the same problems." Latino workers and Black
workers face the same barriers and disparities such as the student drop out
rates or record unemployment figures, he said.
Sanchez says he travels across the country talking to Latino workers. He
said he is concerned, however, about low levels of motivation on the part of
people to go out and vote in the 2012 elections.
"It's very dangerous," he said. "And now more than ever, when our
communities are under attack, we need to be that much more active and
involved in the electoral process in order to change the problems we face."
Republicans are moving to the extreme right and Democrats have been very
mediocre when it comes to defending the working class and our national
priorities, says Sanchez.
"So this is a very good time for working people to come together, especially
minorities, to show we are united.
It's time to create the conditions for change so we can set a new direction
moving forward."
Almost every speaker at the summit has mentioned the Occupy Wall Street
movement, said Sanchez. "It's an inspiration for everybody, an example that
people are tired of the current conditions in which the 1 percent have
everything while the 99 percent are left with crumbs."
"We hope this summit is the beginning of a new kind of partnership, a new
conversation and a new type of solidarity among minorities and working
people to take this partnership, inspiration and unity to the voting booths
in 2012."
Participants at the summit discussed the importance of Black/Brown labor
unity and broad based coalitions nationwide for social and economic justice.
Various plenary sessions, panels and keynote luncheons about issues such as
community mobilization, immigration, voters' rights, human rights, jobs,
education, housing, and health care were featured. Congressman Raul
Grijalva, D-Ariz., and the Rev. Jesse Jackson spoke.
The conference concluded with a rally at the Occupy Phoenix settlement.
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* * *
From: Gary [garyrumor2@yahoo.com]
http://motherjones.com/mojo/2011/12/occupy-oakland-west-coast-port-shutdown
Will Occupy Shut Down All West Coast Ports?
-By Gavin Aronsen
Mother Jones:| Sat Dec. 10, 2011
Around nine o'clock on the night of November 2, after more than 10,000
people marched to the Port of Oakland in support of Occupy Oakland's call
for a general strike, an independent arbitrator declared the port unsafe for
its workers, effectively securing its closure for the rest of the night.
This Monday, Occupy Oakland will try to best its 12-hour port shutdown with
a more ambitious West Coast "port blockade" joined by more than a dozen
occupations from Anchorage to San Diego.
Occupy Oakland's renewed call to shut down the "Wall Street on the
waterfront" was sparked in large part by the October firing of 26 port
truckers in Los Angeles and Long Beach who wore Teamster T-shirts to work in
defiance of their anti-union employer, the Australian-owned Toll Group.
Monday's protests are also being billed as a protest against port terminals
run by the Goldman Sachs-owned Stevedoring Services of America (SSA) and a
show of solidarity with the International Longshore and Warehouse Union's
rank-and-file-particularly in Longview, Washington, where the union is
engaged in a contract fight with Export Grain Terminal, a subsidiary of the
agribusiness giant Bunge.
Barucha Peller, a member of Occupy Oakland's West Coast port shutdown
coordinating committee, said Monday's plans are an "unprecedented" stand for
a movement that's only three months old. Activists have learned from the
previous shutdown, she believes, and will work to avoid repeating mistakes
such as blocking truck drivers mistakenly thought to be incoming nonunion
workers. "November 2 we were organizing on the fly," she explained. "Now
we're communicating a lot better with the port truckers and flyering a lot
more down at the port." Both truckers and the ILWU members, she added, have
had "really positive responses" to the plans.
Stan Woods, a member of the ILWU Local 6 in San Francisco on Occupy
Oakland's port shutdown committee, believes that Monday's plans are in line
with the union's decades-long history of picketing in support of
social-justice causes (which former communications director Steve Stallone
details here). "I have no doubt the national leadership believes what it
says," Woods said, "but the ILWU, despite its problems, is one of the most
democratic unions, with lots of autonomy." Solidarity strikes have been
illegal since 1947, but ILWU workers have a history of protesting without
official union sanction.
The ILWU leadership is against another port shutdown. Last Wednesday
evening, ILWU communications director Craig Merrilees attended a meeting of
about 40 members of Occupy the Hood's Oakland chapter to hand out a letter
from union president Robert McEllrath, which disputed occupiers' claims.
"Support is one thing," the letter read (PDF). "Organization from outside
groups attempting to co-opt our struggle in order to advance a broader
agenda is quite another and one that is destructive to our democratic
process and jeopardizes our over two year struggle in Longview." McEllrath
wrote that criticism of the ILWU's position "is shortsighted and only serves
the 1%." A separate letter from the Port of Oakland (PDF) made a similar
argument that port shutdowns would hurt average citizens by "diverting
cargo, tax revenue, and jobs to other communities."
Of course, disrupting commerce is the whole point of Monday's protests.
According to the Journal of Commerce, the West Coast ports are responsible
for more than 50 percent of the country's containerized trade, and a 10-day
lockout of longshoremen in 2002 cost an estimated $1 billion a day. Occupy
Oakland's November blockade reportedly caused $4 million in revenue loss. In
the video announcing Monday's protest, local hip-hop artist and Occupy
Oakland organizer Boots Riley declared the movement's intention to "shut
down all West Coast ports" to "not only make a statement but cause a lot of
profit loss." (Watch his statement below.)
In reality, though, the Occupy movement has no intention of actually trying
to shut down all of the more than three dozen ports along the West Coast of
the United States and Canada. According to the protest's website,
occupations in 14 coastal cities-including Los Angeles, Portland, Seattle,
Tacoma, and Vancouver-will participate, but they don't all plan to shut down
their respective ports.
The Port of Los Angeles, which adjoins the Port of Long Beach, is the
nation's largest with 43 miles of waterfront-too large to realistically
bring to a halt. Michael Novick, a member of Occupy Los Angeles' general
strike preparation committee, said his group instead sees the protest as a
"first step toward a general strike" in his city next May. Occupy LA, he
said, only plans to picket at one or more SSA terminals at the two ports.
Port of Los Angeles spokesman Phillip Sanfield isn't especially concerned
about a shutdown. He said officials at the port will take a "thoughtful
approach" that will "protect the First Amendment and allow people to
demonstrate."
Just as Oakland's November 2 "general strike" wasn't really a general strike
in the truest sense, the absence of a total West Coast port shutdown won't
prevent the Occupy movement from making another bold statement. An untold
number of occupations, from Houston to Denver to Wall Street, have direct
actions planned Monday to express support for the port shutdown. Even rail
workers in Japan are participating. As at other Occupy events, getting
people to show up is half the battle. As Peller asks, "What's it going to
look like when tens of thousands are marching on the coasts?"
* * *
Occupy Long Beach Information about December 12 Port Shutdown Event.
THIS EMAIL CONTAINS:
1. Event list for Sunday and Monday
2. Getting there and parking info for port action on Monday
3. Why we are taking this action
4. Plea for peace keeper volunteers for port action
5. How to follow the event via twitter and live streams
6. Additional links/attachments of supporting information
On Dec. 12, as part of the March and Boycott for full legalization and jobs
for all, Occupy LA, Occupy Long Beach and the Occupy movement are holding a
port action,
"Occupy the Ports! A Day without Goldman Sachs!"
This legal rally, march and community picket
Monday Dec. 12th
5:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Harry Bridges Park in Long Beach,
1126 Queens Highway, right outside the Queen Mary.
People from all over southern California are planning on coming, do not miss
this historical event.
BRING YOUR CAMERAS!!!
Join us the evening before at Occupy Long Beach at Lincoln Park. The General
Assembly is on Sunday at 4:00 PM, and the General Strike Preparation
Committee of OLA will hold its final planning meeting at 6:00 PM there.
We'll also be making signs for the protest, but bring your own, too, as well
as noise-makers, drums, etc.
Also happening on Sunday:
Noon: Sing making for port action.
2pm: A teach-in on "Why We Occupy" and discussion about what is next for
Occupy Long Beach.
Getting there and parking info:
Take the 710 to the Queen Mary, park in the Queen Mary lot ($12 flat rate)
and walk right back out to Harry Bridges Park.
Or head into downtown Long Beach, take the BROADWAY EXIT. You can park in
downtown Long Beach at several locations, most street spots are metered, so
you will have to park in one of several parking structures, all located
close to Broadway and Pine.
We recommend that you park at the garage on Pacific Ave between 1st and
Broadway, directly across from Lincoln Park. Parking Garage is cash only and
is $3 to park all day, there is a chance that it will be free if no
attendant is there yet, you pay upon entry.
Or take the Blue Line or LB Transit to the Long Beach Transit Mall Exit.
1 block from parking structure and footsteps from transit mall is 1st and
Pine Ave, go to bus stop on west side of pine ave and take the C PASSPORT
Bus to the Queen Mary, the first pick up of the day is at 5am. Passport to
queen mary is free.
You can walk to Harry Bridges Park from Lincoln Park, its about a 30 minute
walk.
There are buses, vans and tons of cars offering carpool help. We are working
on routing vehicles coming from out of town to first stop by Lincoln park or
first congregational parking lot to pick up anyone who needs a ride over to
Harry Bridges. Another email will go out Sunday with specific info on this.
Why are we taking this action:
In solidarity with port workers, including the port truck drivers, we are
focusing on SSA Marine, a global company owned by the investment bank
Goldman Sachs, as an example of the corporate greed that is ruining the
lives of the 99%.
Goldman Sachs, the parent company, was the recipient of billions of dollars
in bail-out money.
SSA Marine which has multiple terminals in LA and Long Beach and other
facilities in the area, as well as terminals in other ports, is a major
military contractor that ran the port in Iraq under the US occupation. In
Bellingham WA, where they are trying to build a dirty coal terminal, they
were found guilty of illegally building an access road without a permit. In
Oakland, they were discovered to have been carrying potentially explosive
cargo without warning the numbers. Here in L.A., their Shippers facility in
Carson denies union representation with the ILWU to internal workers, even
though the facility is legally part of the port and under ILWU jurisdiction.
They were also exposed by CBS News for treating the truck drivers as
independent contractors, avoiding FICA taxes and workers compensation, and
denying the truck drivers the right to organize.
We will be conducting a legal rally, march and protest and putting up
community picket lines at one or more SSA Marine facilities.
We are demanding economic justice for all. The 1% have pursued conscious
policies of globalization, deindustrialization of the US, capital flight and
super-exploitation of workers in other countries, with the result that
"trade" at LA & Long Beach ports means eight or nine containers of imports
for every one of exports. Rebuilding the economy and engaging in real, fair
trade would mean good jobs for all, and plenty of work for everyone!
We are building towards a general strike by organized and unorganized
workers, as a path of direct action by working people and the 99% to define
and protect our own interests. We understand that because of reactionary
labor laws, rulings and court decisions, dating back to the Taft-Hartley Act
and other cold war legislation that tried to limit workers' collective power
and rights, unions are constrained from taking job actions based on
solidarity or political demands. Just last week, the Clerks local of the
ILWU was forced back to work over a technicality after they went out on
strike. We are standing up for the rights of labor to organize by
undertaking a "third party" community picket. The longshore and other port
workers are threatened with fines and imprisonment. The port truck drivers
are threatened with prosecution under anti-trust laws if they try to
organize. But as concerned residents and working people, we are able to act
independently and are doing so. We understand that our action on Dec. 12
will not shut down the ports of LA and Long Beach, and we never claimed we
would. Only the working people of the ports, drivers, longshore, warehouse,
clerks and others have the power to do that. That is why we see this as only
a first step towards a General Strike on may 1, 2012, and we invite all of
organized and unorganized labor and all communities to join in building
towards that goal.
For more information call 323-901-4269 or email occupytheports@gmail.com
WE NEED PEACE KEEPERS!!
If you would like to volunteer as a peace keeper, please contact
occupylboutreach@gmail.com
TO TRACK OUR EVERY MOVE follow us on twitter
#occupygenstrk
Email zebraslk@gmail.com BeGrouped text list. Please contact with your phone
number.
#occupylbc
There will be several live streams to watch, please check the occupy long
beach facebook page and/or occupy los angeles facebook page to see who is
live streaming.
Additional info/links:
Occupy movement calls for Dec. 12 West Coast Port Shutdown. Featuring Boots
Riley.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4pmjJ4l7PY
* * *
ILWU clarifies position regarding third-party protests at ports November 22,
2011 3:01 pm
SAN FRANCISCO, CA (November 22, 2011)
In response to recent third-party announcements that community activists
will attempt to shut down various West Coast marine terminals on December
12, 2011, the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) sent a memo
to its 15,000 longshore members and leaders emphasizing the union's internal
democratic process and stating its rejection of third-party calls for job
actions that have not been sanctioned by its Officers or voted on by member
representatives. The memo stated in part, "To be clear, the ILWU, the Coast
Longshore Division, and Local 21 are not coordinating independently or in
conjunction with any self-proclaimed organization or group to shut down any
port or terminal, particularly as it relates to our dispute with EGT in
Longview."
"The ILWU shares the Occupy Wall Street movement's concerns about corporate
abuses and the future of the middle class, but we must be clear that any
actions organized by outside groups, including the proposed December 12
shutdown of various terminals on the West Coast, have not been vetted by our
union's democratically led process," said Robert McEllrath, ILWU
International President. "Only ILWU members or their elected representatives
can authorize job actions on behalf of the union, and any decisions made by
groups outside of the union's democratic process do not hold water,
regardless of the intent."
Several announcements have been made by online activists claiming that they
intend to shut down terminals in support of the ILWU's primary dispute with
EGT, a multinational grain export terminal in Longview, WA, that broke off
talks with the ILWU after nine months of negotiations.
"The ILWU has received strong public support as people find out about
multinational EGT's attempts to undermine American working conditions," said
Leal Sundet, ILWU Coast Committeeman. "While people are inspired to support
the fight for good jobs at EGT, the fact remains that our plan to reach an
agreement with EGT is led solely by the longshore workers who have worked
grain on the West Coast for the past eight decades."
The ILWU represents 50,000 men and women on the docks and in warehouses and
other industries in California, Oregon, Washington, Alaska and Hawaii.
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