Under the radar: The Coos Bay west coast project – just like a London bus...
‘Now or never’, it’s that kinda moment
By Alex Lennane
This story first reared its head in the first days of The Loadstar. Remember when, in 2012, the ILWU and International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) were arguing about whose job it was to plug and unplug reefer containers at Terminal 6 in Portland, Oregon? Well, it resulted in ILWU slowdowns, which affected the port. Now a jury has backed port operator ICTSI’s claims that the union’s campaign led to the loss of service contracts with two major shipping companies – approximately 98% of its business. Last week, a jury awarded awarded ICTSI $93.6m – an amount that could bankrupt the union. However, it is expected that ILWU will contest the judgment.
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Gary Ferrulli
November 11, 2019 at 3:51 pmBy the time you’ve read this, a judge has postponed the verdict and the ILWU has filed a petition to vacate the verdict which will be heard by a US court sometime in the next few years.
Unions in this country are politically covered by their traditional voting patterns, politicians either avoid doing anything to harm them or openly support whatever they are doing. It means votes.