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.
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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!