Jerome Silletti, Mike "Meathooks" Mormile, Sebastian Zinna, Nick PicurroOver a year ago Sebastiano Zinna, a 1588 member, began talking with co-workers about organizing a softball team for longshoremen at Global. By the time this hits the press, he will have coordinated a six team fast-pitch league that’s looking to expand throughout the Port and maybe even up and down the East Coast.

”I figured we could all unite outside of work,” says Zinna. “It’s a way to bring everyone together and talk about stuff other than the job. Besides if we all gotta go on strike and stick together what better way to get started.” Zinna has named the team he manages “ZaZa's Gang” after his uncle's nickname Mikey ZaZa. His uncle Michael Zinna has been a longshoreman since 1969 and does not have a gang.

ILA President Richard Hughes announced that he will initiate early negotiations with the employers for the Deep-Sea Master contract set to expire in September 2010. 1588 officers will lead a discussion on the plan to win a good Master and Portwide agreement at our membership meeting on September 22. In 2004, 1588 overwhelmingly voted down the Master and Port-wide contract because it failed to bridge the gap between the top tier and bottom tier workforce and weakened port-wide staffing agreements at a time when the industry received the highest volume in history. Along with other reformers we pointed out that this agreement could bankrupt the International union, and it nearly has.

Key issues so far raised by members

Master

• End wage and royalty tiers and caps.

• Eliminate MILA tiers.
• Improve safety standards
• Protect against the impact of new technology
• Protect ILA jurisdiction and organize non-union longshore work.

Portwide

• the absentee program: Eliminate penalties for not working or shaping unless tied to guaranteed minimum income, as in the past.
  
  

The 2007 ILA Convention set the most forward-looking agenda for the union in a generation. A few international officers such as Executive VP Harold Daggett and VP Kenny Riley have strongly advocated for the changes laid out by the Convention. However, the International has not done enough to carry out the agenda.

Reformers, including the Local 1588 delegation, pushed through resolutions to end the wage, royalty and benefit tiers; to revise and expand longshore safety regulations; and to organize non-union longshoring operations -- a growing threat to our standards and jurisdiction.

The tide turns
At previous conventions, many officers and delegates were strongly opposed to resolutions for greater democracy, for more aggressive approaches towards employers, and for a stronger master contract. Now the tide has finally turned.

It seems the only way to get Ceres to be fair is to take the issues directly to the cruise passengers. By doing this, the Local forced Ceres to make improvements demanded by the workforce since the 2006 seniority agreement, including:

• Additional workers to load X-Ray machines - work that previously had been done by security guards in violation of the Contract

• A text/email procedure for members to take themselves out of the system.
• A heated container as a break space by the ship.
• Additional Foreman to deal with superintendents doing union work.
• Additional Assistant Foreman, along with a four hour/per week increase in their break down time to deal with superintendents doing union work.