File spoon-archives/aut-op-sy.archive/aut-op-sy_1997/aut-op-sy.9709, message 127


Date: Tue, 30 Sep 1997 10:09:13 -0500 (CDT)
From: "Harry M. Cleaver" <hmcleave-AT-mundo.eco.utexas.edu>
Subject: AUT: Victory in Oakland! (fwd)



---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Tue, 30 Sep 1997 09:50:39 +0100
From: LabourNet <chrisbailey-AT-GN.APC.ORG>
Reply-To: Forum on Labor in the Global Economy <LABOR-L-AT-YORKU.CA>
To: LABOR-L-AT-YORKU.CA
Subject: Victory in Oakland!

Victory in Oakland!

"Neptune Jade" sails without unloading

After a 32 hour delay in Oakland, California, caused by pickets supporting
the sacked Liverpool dockers, the Nedlloyd "Neptune Jade" has sailed at
12:30 am Tuesday (Pacific time) without discharging 160 containers
including 7 from Thamesport, where Mersey Docks acts as Port Authority
through its 100% subsidiary Medway Ports.

The picket victory follows the failure of the Pacific Maritime Association
to obtain a temporary restraining order on Monday afternoon. Plaintiffs for
the action were Yusen Terminals Inc., Centennial Stevedoring Services, and
the PMA. Defendants were Robert Irminger, Jack Heyman, the Labor Party
Golden Gate Chapter, the Peace and Freedom Party, and the Laney College
Labor Studies department.

Crew members from the "Neptune Jade" informed pickets that the vessel was
bound for Yokohama and then Kobe. However, with the decision to sail from
Oakland without discharge, Nedlloyd may be considering a stop at another
West Coast port.

The picketting depending on fast organisation, as the decision to begin at
6:30 am Sunday was only finally taken on Saturday night. The IWW
("Wobblies") contributed around half of the dozen activists who stopped the
first shift when ILWU Locals 10 and 34 refused to cross the line on the
advice of Local 10 Business Agent Henry Graham. The company was told that
there were two grievances: scab cargo
and a health and safety risk to members from the picket line. The PMA's
labor relations delegate Art Chu called in an arbitrator, who ruled against
the "scab cargo" claim but upheld the health and safety risk in view of the
evident anger displayed on the picket line. The ruling was upheld on each
successive shift including 7 p.m. Monday.

With another Nedlloyd vessel, the "Chesapeake Bay" due in at 3 a.m.
Tuesday, ILWU Local 10 declared it would not cross the line to work either
ship if the "Neptune Jade" remained in port. Eventually, when it sailed at
12:35 a.m. the line was lifted.

Robert Irminger, a member of the Inland Boatmen's Union, told LabourNet "We
did this to drive home to all concerned that the working class is prepared
to use whatever means are necessary to achieve the reinstatement of the
Liverpool dockers".



LabourNet Report

http://www.labournet.org.uk



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