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About Street roots. (Portland, OR) 1998-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 19, 2011)
Street roots 13 Aug. 19, 2011 Biggest labor struggle in years dismissed by major media ILW U is in a fight to secure work at a new $200 million grain terminal in Longview BY MICHAEL MUNK C O N T R IB U T IN G W R ITÈR Four months ago, contract talks between the ILWU and EGT broke down, making the Longview site the only grain terminal on the West Coast not operated by the ILWU. The union says its contract with the Port of Longview requires EGT to hire the ILWU ' Local 21 labor for the terminal. EGT attorneys sued the port in federal court in January, saying the company is not bound by the port’s contract A trial is scheduled for next year. s the Northwest Labor Press correctly observed, “one of the most determined labor struggles in recent times is unfolding on the waterfront of Longview,” a Columbia river port town on the Washington side not far downstream from Portland. But as significant as that struggle is, it seems to have escaped the attention of the editors and reporters at The Oregonian and other local media. So at a time when labor unions have practically disappeared from the private sector (only about 7 percent of; its workers are organized), and a union as historically militant as the International Longshore and Warehouse (ILWU) is fighting a Portland company’s scheme to herd scabs at its new grain tenninal, attention must be paid. In a nutshell, the struggle began when Portland’s ÈGT (Export Grain Terminal)— part of the transnational Bunge agribusiness corporation together with Japanese and South Korean shippers — forced thè Port of Longview to sell it a tract on ‘the waterfront. EGT then built a $200 million grain terminal with mainly unorganized,* out of town and even foreign labor and determined to operate it with scab labor. Longview ILWU Local 21’s 202 members have a union contract with the Port to handle all its shipping and determined EGT would not operate the terminal with scabs. The contract issue is in the courts, but in the streets and on the docks, the human struggle is surging. The fight began in June, after EGT’s negotiators rejected a contract with Local 21, In response, about 1,500 ILWU members from up and down the west coast and hostedby Portland Local 8, protested, EGT’s scab herding at its downtown Portland headquarters. The Oregonian dismissed the major event with nothing more than a snide note that failed to report who the target of the protest was! On July 11 about 100 ILWU members were arrested hi Longview after tearing down a fence and invading the terminal and on the 14th some 600 members ánd supporters were successful in stopping à 100-car Burlington Northern train from delivering grain. BN ■ Street Books, 4 bicycle-powered mobile library, coming to a street near you! Wednesdays, 10-2 Skidmore Fountain. Saturdays, 10-2, Park Blocks @ SW Salmon. Street Books will use an old-school card catalogue system, checking out and accepting returned books, twice weekly through the summer. You do not need an address to be able to check out books. The website streetbooks.org will feature photos of patrons who wish to be featured with their book of choice, on-line book reviews submitted by patrons, and updates about Street Books news and library hours. At the end of thé summer, Street Books will host a reception, inviting patrons to come talk about their favorite books, and share their experiences with the project. To find out more about the project, or to donate paperbacks, contact Laura Moulton: laura@ideacog.net. iNGSf , r i 1 Í 1 J a Ï Ï * z s p Hr :1 1 WtH announced future trains would wait until the Many of Longview’s 37,000 residents labor dispute was settled. support their neighbors’ struggle and about EGT’s response was to try an end run 250 local business, as well as honies and around the ILWU by signing up Oregon’s cars, display signs reading: “We Support the Operating Engineers Local 701 to operate ILWU in the fight for a decent standard of the terminal through a Seattle area living in our community.” subsidiary of Kiewit. So Local 701 leaders; If residents of other Northwest accused pf anti-union behavior, now also communities could break through the media became prime targets for pickets who blackout, public support would mount. Local blockedcars at the terminal, gates asweft-air “2i"Pi esideiTt"©aii pf the OE local in Gladstone he pointed out that EGT’s plan, is “to sit off with a large inflatable r a t After a heated to the side, and let the working classes fight debate, during which President Tom it out. Our fight should be against corporate Chamberlain was overruled when he tried to America that’s taking collective bargaining kill the effort, the Oregon AFL-CIO rights from everybody. They want us to fight executive committee passed a resolution amongst each other.” “strongly condemning” local 701 for “anti Michael M unk’s Portland Red Guide second union actions,” and on Aug. 5, hundreds of edition has just been published by PSU’s longshoremen and their supporters came Ooligan Press. Visit his website www. back to Gladstone and loudly denounced its michaelmunk. com leaders. PHOTO BY NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS Members of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 21 and allies demonstrate outside the EGT Development h eadquarters in Portland after the company refused to honor the union’s contract with the Port of Longview. Office Cat Rooty sends a warm thank you to Ted Jack, a vendor, volunteer a n d supporter o f Street Roots fo r years. H e ’s m oving to A laska to catch the big ones. T hank you, Ted, fo r all your years o f support!
