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From: ILWU 518
Category: Category 1
Date: 16 Aug 1999
Time: 06:15:08
Remote Name: 24.113.31.232
ILWU Local 518 Fighting for Jobs
ILWU Local 518 representing cargo samplers and surveyors battle British Columbia Maritime Employers Association (BCMEA) member Sultran Ltd over the hiring of a non-union inspection company to undertake sulphur sampling at Pacific Coast Terminals and Vancouver Wharves. Local 518 has Certification with SGS Canada Inc. and Intertek Testing Services pkb who previously held sampling contracts with Sultran.
Since local 518's original certification in 1972, BCMEA member companies have required the use of union personnel sampling and surveying to maintain good will and harmony with other longshore workers on the waterfront. This requirement worked well for 26 years until Sultran made a bold and unprecedented switch to Certispec Services starting August 16,1998.
Certispec a new company with no prior sulphur sampling experience had to hire off the street to meet its obligations to Sultran. When the owner of Certispec was approached by the Union about hiring union personnel, his response was "Certispec has its contracts because it is non-union, if it were to go union the company would lose its contracts," the same opinion is held by the employees that work at the company.
In a statement to the press, Lorne Frieburg (Sultran) stated that the contract was awarded on a competitive basis based on cost and flexibility, what he doesn't say is that Intertek Testing Services had the lowest bid until John Meyers (Sultran) arbitrarily decided to add 250,000 dollars to the bid. On the issue of flexibility Local 518 has over 100 people trained in sulphur sampling and unit train identification along with automatic sample plant experience. Local 518 also has the ability to call trained people in with only one hour notice 24 hours a day 7 days a week.
518 members took their frustrations to the street August 16 and in traditional ILWU style, formed picket lines at both Vancouver Wharves and Pacific Coast Terminals. Court injunctions were served and when members refused to leave police started to make arrests. To date 20 Local 518 members and 8 Local 500 pensioners have been arrested and stand charged with contempt of court. The Union is vowing to keep up the fight and is getting terrific support from the Officers of the International in San Francisco and the International Transport Federation (ITF)..... it brings hope to know that organizations like these representing 80,000 dock workers and seafarers are pulling hard to bring a resolve to this and many other important issues.
Special thanks to members of locals 4 (Vancouver, Washington) & 8 (Portland Oregon) and to the courageous Local 500 pensioners who define for us what solidarity and commitment to the Union cause is all about.