The Militant is turning over space on our editorial page to this July 18 statement on the longshore workers’ fight by the Socialist Workers 2002 campaign in California. The California ticket is headed by Nan Bailey for governor, William Kalman for lieutenant governor, and Olympia Newton for secretary of state.

Some 10,000 dockworkers at twenty-nine West Coast deep water ports, represented by the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) are waging an important battle against the shipping companies and the Pacific Maritime Association. The outcome of this fight will have an impact on other labor struggles as well.

The ILWU contract expired July 1, as did the agreement covering Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 790 port workers. Also, port truck drivers, the lowest paid workers on the waterfront, are seeking to affiliate with the Teamsters to improve their pay and conditions. The shipping bosses are out to "increase productivity," which means using the latest technology to make longshore workers work harder and faster.

The bosses have also refused to maintain health and pension benefits at their current levels, and want union members and retirees to begin contributing toward their medical expenses. By increasing labor productivity and cutting back on "expenses" like medical care, the U.S. shipping bosses hope to better compete against their European counterparts.

The big business press is portraying the longshoremen as greedy and overpaid. But these higher wages and better working conditions were won in struggle and help all working people to be on a stronger footing to fight back. These gains should be supported by all working people.

The drive of the shipping companies against the dock unionists is being aided by the U.S. government’s plans to fight "terrorism" on the waterfront. Both Democrats and Republicans in Congress are working on a "Maritime Security Bill" that would prevent anyone convicted of certain crimes--including sedition--from working certain seaport jobs; establish special port "security" committees; require dockworkers, truck drivers and other workers to wear special ID cards; force all seafarers to be "re-credentialed" and carry an electronic card from ship to ship; and increase the presence of the Coast Guard and police on the waterfront.

The Socialist Workers campaign calls on working people to support the fight of ILWU members, the SEIU members, and port truckers against the shippers and the Pacific Maritime Association. The entire labor movement should oppose the use of the "war on terrorism" to launch further attacks against workers rights.

We urge all working people to also join us in the fight to replace the capitalist government that defends the interests of the shipping bosses with a workers and farmers government. Such a government would defend all exploited producers from the ravages of the capitalist wages system and join in the worldwide fight for socialism--a society based on human needs and solidarity.  
 
 
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