Deep Sea Division
Membership Approves $100,000 for Contract Fight Campaign
Submitted by carlbiers on Wed, 2008-10-01 14:06.1588 members overwhelmingly passed an imperative motion to fight for a strong Deep Sea Master and Portwide contract at the largest membership meeting in recent history Sept. 22. The current six-year Deep Sea contract, set to expire in September 2010, contains deep wage divisions between top tier and bottom tier workforce. 1588 members rejected that contract in 2004 by a two-to-one margin and have now thrown their support behind a campaign to fight for a good contract. Below is the full text of the resolution
Funding our Future: Motion to Approve Funds for Deep-Sea Master Contract and Port-Wide Contract Campaign 2008-2009
Whereas, the next round of contract negotiations are the most critical in a generation since containerization.
Whereas, the ILA has called for early negotiations.
Whereas, at stake are the elimination of wage tiers, royalty tiers, non-union work, benefit plans, safety, and the implementation of labor saving technology.
NYSA-ILA Portwide Agreement for the Port of New York and New Jersey
The Portwide Agreement(pdf) between the New York Shipping Association and the ILA addresses many issues and working conditions not covered in the ILA-USMX Master Contract (pdf)
Included in the Portwide Agreement (pdf) are several appendices and other documents like NYSA-ILA Joint Maritime Safety Code (pdf) that affect the working conditions of Longshoremen in the Port of New York and New Jersey.
New: Portwide Agreement available as a booklet from the Local
These include (all in pdf format):
USMX-ILA Master Contract
Follow this link to the pdf file of the Master Agreement between the ILA and the United Maritime Alliance (USMX).
1588 Plans Upcoming Contract Fight - Hughes Announces Early Negotiations
Submitted by carlbiers on Tue, 2008-09-16 13:46.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.
ILA Convention Report Card - One Year Later
Submitted by carlbiers on Tue, 2008-09-16 13:35.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.
