This just in: Thousands of dock workers stay home, West Coast ports shut down

All 29 ports on the West Coast, including the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, have been effectively shut down this morning as thousands of dockworkers stayed home to protest the Iraq war. The walkout comes two months before the contract between dockworkers and and port operators expires. Louis Sahagun has the story:

"We are supporting the troops and telling politicians in Washington that it's time to end the war in Iraq," union president Bob McEllrath said.

McEllrath, whose comments came in a press release handed out by union officials in the Port of Los Angeles area, said rank-and-file members decided in early January to stand down on May 1.

The dockworkers' action also affected ports in Oakland, Seattle and San Diego, and was expected to last between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. The dockworkers do virtually all the work involved in loading and unloading freight between ships and the port, handling containers brimming with toys, clothing, computers and automobiles.

Big rigs headed for the ports are being turned away at the terminal gates. That's a guard at the TREPAC terminal in San Pedro, keeping traffic from entering.

Read Louis' full story here.

-- Veronique de Turenne

Photo: Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times

Comments

[ron wieder]

How pathetically stupid ! But then, it's the West Coast, what would you expect ?
do they really think that their stupidity will bring the troops home any quicker ? Are these folks capable of thinking what will happen in Iraq if our troops were to leave now ? I don't think they are !

[james]

...the most significant war protest to date and it's getting less national coverage than the transport of anna nicole smith's body.

[manu]

americans are tired of this war for oil. one its the wrong war two we didnt even get iraqa oil.

[Ben]

What the heck? So now the dockworkers have gone political? What a great idea !!! Now when Hillary or Obama get elected all of wallstreet can walk out and halt the financial markets as a sign of protest. The following week doctors can walk out to protest congress not passing some sort of liability limitations. After that fast food workers can walk out to protest funds being spent on NASA instead of the poor. Or better yet, why don't the dock workers do something crazy like their fricking jobs instead of acting like pouting children and driving up the cost of goods for everybody else?

[Donald]

HUELGA!

From an old afl-cio Port Chicago dockworker.

Keep them shut down, it just might finally get their attention.

[jon]

what ron? what would happen in Iraq if we leave now? Explain and please make some sense, because for seven years now the administration has turned its back on America. For seven yrs they've kept eyes and attention on Iraq as Americans are losing homes,financial companies are falling apart, gas prices have jumped up 300%....what would happen in Iraq. Better yet..who gives a F***!!

[Sally]

Seems to me the unions are very biased & way too powerful...Say in the unlikely event their little scheme works, does this mean that the unions will go "Hey! We can hold the American people hostage to our demands any time we want!! We just won't deliver their goods and/or services!" What a bunch of losers!

[carson]

I think it's great.
It's about time. You have millions upon millions of dollars going to a MERCENARY army in Iraq on OUR dime. You have the Robber Barons running the administration saying "We don't care what Americans think" and at the same time as gas, bread and milk prices knock people off their feet you have a president who not long ago said he wasn't aware that gas prices were rising. At what point do you think people reach their tipping point??

GO DOCKWORKERS.
We've had 3 airlines HALT operations because of the our economic state, if you think there aren't more collapses on the way you're uneducated or willfully ignorant.

[tim drew]

fire everyone of them

[Patchwork]

So, on MayDay--the official world-wide celebration of Communism--our true-blue U.S. dockworkers launch a treasonous shutdown. Guess we can all see where their sympathies really lie.

[Bryan]

I have another attention getting Idea. Fire them all.

[aproche]

Congratulations !
This war is absurd and our oil-based civilization will die soon.

[Flinter]

We refuse to drill oil on our coasts and Alaska which requires a need to be in the Persian Gulf. This strike will do nothing tangible other than delaying for a day more Chinese junk destined for our landfills.

[F. Stein]

Absolutely the best move. In 1991, then President Bush received a report stating that an invasion of Iraq would result in religious civil war, vast losses of American soldiers and a less stable, more radical Iraq. That Bush wisely chose to retake Kuwait and leave Iraq to Iragis. The son, moron that he is, did not listen and 4k US soldiers are dead, the country is less stable and more radical. Gee, great job moron. Thank you Longshoreman for putting your voice to ending this stupidity. FS

[Bryan]

Well Jon, I don't look to the Government to solve my problems.

[Ian]

Hell Yeah!!!
Good Job Guys!!!

[Jim]

Hey they can do what they want, they are union. Many dockworkers make over 80K a year and it's virtually impossible to get fired.

I'd be much more impressed if all McDonalds workers walked off their jobs.

[lost]

two prong attack, dock workers are showing us their political
view and at same time, showing the effects of them NOT working
for a day right before their contract talks.

good luck, i don't think anyone's gonna be feeling sorry for dockworkers
if their contract talks turn sour as they probably want a wage increase
and/or more healthbenefits/retirement entitlements..

as everyone is feeling the pinch right now..just be happy you got
a semi-good paying job!!

[JP]

"Are these folks capable of thinking what will happen in Iraq if our troops were to leave now?"
Are folks like you capable of thinking beyond the propaganda issued by the Bush/Cheney regime and their media minions? Do you fall for all of the fear mongering or just that related to the bogus "war on terror"?
Neoconservatives want perpetual war because it allows government to become more secretive, more powerful, and more intrusive while dismantling our civil liberties. Perpetual war gives the executive branch more ability to grab power and impose ideology, and to cement the corporate empire with the military-industrial complex at its helm.
I support any who speak out against the travesty of the Iraq invasion and occupation.

[Ralph]

Good for them. Heaven forbid that any Americans stand up and be counted. Oh wait that's what the government wants you to do "Ben", just sit down shut up, do your job, and not have an opinion It's about time Americans stood up for what they believed was right, or wrong in this case!

[John]

This is not about the troops. It to show the port operator what could happen if their new contract is not to the union or dockworkers liking. It's sad.

[Bryce]

This is what democracy is about, without the "stupid" (some may say) speaking up, they are just bypassed by the institutions, I don't care if the average person doesn't read up to date news on Iraq, these people not only have the right to do this, but they should if they disagree with our governments action or inaction. It's not like all the hate mail we've sent in disapproval has done much. Regular people must have an avenue for reform other than a broken representative government.

[howard]

Protesting is as American as apple pie.
Protesters dumped tea into the ocean to protest the taxes in defiance to the King of England.
Protesting now will get the attention, if not the support, of this tone-deaf and ineffective administration. It will get the attention of other proud Americans who are not proud of how this administration is handling the Iraq war, and their treatment of returning service men and women.
More power to them.

[Tom Smith]

We are a people governed by the people and for the people. The union of people have a right and the obligation to speak up. Elected individuals (having temporary power) sometimes make mistakes and need to be reminded of the people's directives. Go dockworkers.

[jon]

Well neither do I Ron. I am not directly affected by these issues (outside of fuel prices) yet I believe we should start to look out for Americans now. $12 million a month going to Iraq while those in La. continue to await for some kind of assistance??? But why should those poor bastards in La. get assistance when we have a school to build in Baghdad?

[Frank_US]

Do John McCain or conservative republicans respect the moral foundation of this country? The U.S. Constitution was actually designed, among other things, to protect the people of America from misguided government.

U.S. Constitution: Amendment I - Freedom of Religion
Right now, for the first time ever, your tax dollars are funding religious groups you may not agree with. To add insult to injury, conservative judges have ruled that taxpayers do not have a right to challenge this expenditure.

Amendment IV - Search and seizure
Under the guise of court action against abortion, Conservative republicans had John Ashcroft subpoena all the medical records of literally thousands of women just like you and members of your family. Conservative republicans are invading your privacy every day. Unfortunately for all of us, they don't appear to care about our U.S. constitution, or by extension, the people of our great country.

Amendment X - Powers of the States and People
John McCain and conservative republicans have tried consistently to overturn States Laws. They used your tax dollars to destroy the will of the people of Oregon, and the famous "Death with Dignity" law; they lost, but undoubtedly will try again. Conservative republicans and John McCain do not respect States Rights.

Amendment VIII - Cruel and Unusual punishment
Would you rather die, or support a government which supported and sanctioned torture? The founding fathers would rather have died, and in fact they were proud to fight and die for our government: A government which specifically outlaws cruel and unusual punishment for very important reasons.

I am one of millions of people that view this straying from our moral foundations as very bad news for our country. I urge you to keep this in mind in the coming election.

[Concerned Watcher]

This is very scary. If the unions start asserting and succeeding at political goals such as this I cant see a positive outcome. As a citizen of the US, it's hard enough to get good representation in our government. Now we have to accept the political goals of dock workers on the west coast? I do care about the war in Iraq but I don’t see this as an war issue at all. This is a political power issue and it scares the crap out of me.

I cant see how the US government has any choice but to take swift and stern actions to protect the interest of it's citizens from this kind of political threat. How will the react and more importantly how with the US population react. Are we smart enough to understand that the strong action against unions in this case is actually in our best interest? I am afraid that this may be up to the media which will of course play this as darkly as they can to improve their profits.

I hope the end result is that the media passes this over and ignores it. We will all be better off in the long run if the results of this union action is a non story. I also hope the US government and people either ignore or find the actions petty and stupid. Otherwise a shift in political power may occur and/or serious actions will result. I can personally stand to pay more for my stuff for a while to let this insanity pass over with nothing more then a footnote in the news.

[Atario]

To ron wieder and Ben:

Yeah, how dare they have opinions! They should just shut up, keep their heads down, and do as they're told -- that's the way things get changed.

Right?

[Soy Boy]

Wow. Amazing. I'm really happy about this and proud of these men and women. We have been living in a dream the last 8 years. We have been lied to by a government who takes us to war, shreds the Constitution, hands our tax dollars over to their buddies in no-bid contracts. Then a lazy media does report the truth and crazy radio/cable news hoss distort, cover up, distract and divide us. The horror is so clear but we move on act as if business as usual is OK. Time to wake up. No more business as usual. Lets take back our country, bring home the troops, bring rationality and law. I'm proud these of these union men and women!

[Theo]

Thank you dock workers for being true patriots and caring about the lives of our troops that are wasted every day in a senseless war.

[Jim C]

If I hear one more left wing, self centered, ignorant jerk say that they are "supporting" the troops. These blithering idiots know nothing about our airman, sailors, soldiers, and marines.

[Mike]

Shocking facts...

1) Five (5) times as many people have been murdered in the top eleven cities of the US over the past five years than US soldiers have been killed in the same time period in Iraq.

2) Approximately 25 times as many people die EACH year from infections they got while in the hospital (99,000 per CDC) than have died during the ENTIRE Iraq war.

Children, we have a house to clean before we point fingers at our military, maybe we should be about that?

[sue]

Striking against the war. Right! They are striking because they want more money.

[batrhyme]

The American people need to stand up like the dock workers and say no more of these illegal wars in our name. NOT IN OUR NAME!!!! And why aren't the oil companies donating oil to the Pentagon for the war?. The Pentagon is their market maker!!!!

[Guy Fawkes]

The worst Administration in US history, the closest thing to a Nazi takeover of the USA, the Government spying on Americans without warrants, the destruction o the guaranteed liberties in the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, and we still have people like Ron Wieder who think that Americans shouldn't express their opinions of this war that was started for the sole purpose of enriching Bush, Cheney, and their cronies even more. I'm not usually a big Union supporter, but this time, I have to say "Bully!" for the union.

Ron, if we pull out today, you know what will happen in Iraq? The exact same thing that's been happening there for the last 5000 years - the barbarian tribes will continue to slaughter each other. There will be no change at all - except American kids won't be dying to enrich the Republicans.

[redsue]

Americans are led by those who both think and have some sort of power. In this case, we are seeing leadership by a group of organized, thinking citizens with secure enought jobs that they will probably not lose them over this. It gives me optimism that the system just might someday for the betterment of Everyman. You Go Guys!

[rick]

Fire them all, then disolve all unions.
How's that for a real May Day!!

[Stephen]

Ben: "So now the dockworkers have gone political? What a great idea"

It's known as freedom of speech. The Republicans haven't stolen that right from us ... yet.

"better yet, why don't the dock workers do something crazy like their fricking jobs"

Right, they should know their place and stay there. "Just do your job and shut up! Don't think too much!" Boy, you are a good little Republican sheep, aren't you?

"driving up the cost of goods for everybody else"

There are more important things in life than how cheaply you can purchase next BMW or Xbox, for cryin' out loud!

[Mike]

They're flexing their collective muscle. Very union of them. The whole, "it's about Iraq" is just some made up BS so that it wouldn't seem as selfish. That's right, I showed up late to work because I'm protesting the Iraq war. I don't have my homework today because I'm protesting the Iraq war. I robbed the bank because I'm protesting the Iraq war. Or maybe just generally... I was driving drunk because I was thinking about the Iraq war... I got in a fight because I'm mad about the Iraq war. Just don't use it in a good light, like... I'm really enjoying my freedom from terrorists today thanks to the Iraq war.

[Lu]

The working class are those affected most significantly not only directly by enlisting and getting killed at war, but also by suffering from economic downturn as a result of overspending that essentially gets funneled back to private interests.

Also, "Ben" considering the faltering market, perhaps now would be the time for Wall Street to protest.

As for McDonald's workers walking off the job-maybe they should-according to Jim they could make 80k working the docks and its impossible to get fired!

[Falco]

"What the heck? So now the dockworkers have gone political? What a great idea !!! "

That's hilarious. Did you sleep through all your US history classes when you were in high school? Unions have ALWAYS been political you moronic fool.

[A SoCal ILWU member]

"McEllrath, whose comments came in a press release handed out by union officials in the Port of Los Angeles area, said rank-and-file members decided in early January to stand down on May 1."

That is simply not true. We weren't told until yesterday afternoon not to show up for work today. The membership of the Union is like the population in general--people have very differing opinions on the war. For the president of the Union to make a blanket statement like that is just wrong.

[Grif]

PATCHWORK should be informed that May Day as a worker's holiday began in the good ol' USA back in 1882, Chicago to be exact. It commemorates not Communism but the start of the fight for the 8-hour day!

The Longshore workers are doing exactly the right thing. Too bad more workers don't follow their lead. Interesting how many posters on this forum believe all workers should do is shut up and work. Are they all management or just unable to think?

[Falco]

"These blithering idiots know nothing about our airman, sailors, soldiers, and marines."

How much do you wanna bet that a lot of those dock workers have served in the military? You're making as many assumptions as you accuse them of making.

[mike from Vegas]

thanks god there is a huge force of people out there trying to voice their opinion about this war. it is about time the war be ended. with a drowning economy and the middle class suffering, its nice to see there are still blue collar jobs worth being proud of and making a decent living without having to have their wives work a full time job too with the kids in daycare. although with californias prices i don't think a longshoremen pay is enough to support a family on its own.

funny to see so many people suffering, yet when a union bands together and holds its own everyone says they are greedy. i think its time people (the middle class) start looking at things a different way.

[james]

sally,
labor unions exist to give bargaining power and a voice to otherwise powerless and voiceless workers. when i was a teamster, i made $12 per hour doing a job in a water bottling factory that would have paid no more than $6 or $7 per hour but for the union. the difference in wages more tha made up for the union dues. the company still made lots of money. i sometimes did not like the candidates the teamsters endorsed (i've never voted for anyone just because of an endorsement) nor did i care for the teamsters' occasional links to organized crime. however, the union still managed to accomplished exactly what it was supposed to for me. if you work for a living, you would be lucky to have a union looking out for you - it is very difficult for a non-union blue collar worker to make an above-poverty wage in the u.s. right now.

[Mickey Rivers]

To the contrary, a lot of longshoreman were in the service with quite a few still active in the reserves and there are a few who were WWII veterans. While I don't necessarily agree that a walk-out is appropriate at this time, I agree with one thing. Longshoreman are entitled to two days off per week and if they decide that today was a nice day to take off from work, then I agree with them 100 percent. Luckily, they can pick which days off to take?

NO action should be taken against them for exercising their right to take a day off from work, period.

[Jim Smith]

For those who don't know, May Day is an annual observance of the fight for an 8-hour day in Chicago in the 1880s. Even today, many people have to work longer without compensation (unless they have a union). Many more have no job or health care. Meanwhile, more than half a trillion dollars has been spent on an illegal war and occupation in Iraq. Think what we could have done with that kind of money here at home. Just think what those 4,000-plus soldiers who have died in Iraq could have accomplished with their lives.

Thank you Longshore Union for standing up for the majority of Americans who want to end that war.

[s. gecht]

Striking to protest the war. Right! The union is striking because they want more money.

Thanks longshoreman and their union for shutting down the ports and contributing to the price increase of food and other products.

[CCC]

The article said that both the union and the port stated that a one shift strike would not have any affect on port operations. If true, that is admitting that port operations are inefficient and that little productive work is performed.

May Day is also an international labor day and was a major celebration is the previous Communist countries. I don't see it as a day to be celebrated in the US.

[Pat]

I'm astonished that so many commentors here are evidently so ignorant of US labor history that they don't know that the entire labor-union movement was born out of political struggle. It's only in the past couple of decades that unions have lost their teeth and shied away from direct political action in favor of mere candidate endorsement.

I say good for the dockworkers for returning to their roots.

[communication worker of america]

way to go union power..........verizon and att strike coming soon too....so watch yor phone lines our contract coming to a end in new york this year...sometimes you got to kick them in the lip so they will wake up ...stay strong!!!!!!! ( bush is lying and my brothers are dying)

[Bill]

The dock workers have 100% of my support. Fiinally somebody has a way of makeing a meaningful protest aginst the war. I am a retired professonal, (Repub. party, NRA life member)and support their effort. Georgie boy has got us in a real mess. I HAVE STOPPED ALL POLITICAL DONATIONS UNTIL WE GET OUT OF IRAQ. Bill

[WunderMaus]

The Organizational Muscle and Will of America's Labor Unions are the last best hope for America's Democracy to be saved from the corporate fascists and petroleum robber barons.
The real traitors are the self serving idiot politicians (criminals) that suckered us into an endless war based on lies and greed. The real traitors are the idiot followers that parrot the talking points of corporate sponsored talking heads spewing infotainment propaganda. The real traitors are the idiots that fall into neat little rows to the knee jerk commands of glands instead of brains. The real traitors are the “me first” idiots that think only of them selves and forget that America is the land of E Pluribus Unum. The real traitors are the spastic unconscious that proclaim their excrement doesn't stink but in reality We, the People of the United States of Americans know all too well which way the the wind blows... The stench of corruption, death, and disease fills the halls of government... the blood of America's finest cascades down the stairs of our capitol. The organized citizen's do the heavy lifting and here is another example of Patriotism in action... and obviously something that barking dogs fail to understand or appreciate.

[john]

THE UNIONS AT THE HARBOR ARE COMMUNISTS AND CAN'T STOP FINDING WAYS TO WASTE THE WORKMANS MONEY. iTS NOT ANY BETTER THAN THE BRIBES AND CORRUPTION OF THE UNION BOSS'S FOR POLITICAL REASONS. yET WHAT THE HELL DOES IT DO TO HELP THE UNION MEMBERS?

[Lillian Laskin]

We have been stuck in this quagmire for more time than it took us to win WWII. The coterie of empire-builders at the top have destroyed our economy, our world moral standing, and robbed the next generation of the chance their parents had for a decent public education, job and a middle class life. The disdainful comments against the dock workers who are showing the moral courage to oppose an illegal war is disheartening, petty, and irresponsible. The dock-workers are an example that all Americans must follow if we are to stop the bloodletting, corruption, and threat to a nation built on the rule of law as embodied in our Constitution. Since those we elect refuse to stand up for us, we must do it ourselves.

[radical raf]

Lots of idiots with no clue posting here... The dockworkers did the right thing, the American thing, and spoke FREELY about an issue that everyone else has not.. namely the unjust war. Kudos to the ILWU, and all of you critics should just stick to liking Bush and the failure that has become our national reality...

[Domack]

"A SoCal ILWU member"
Yes, the caucus delegates decided a few months and kept it secret.
A lot of people need to learn more about the reasons why Americans enjoy a high standard of living. It's not out of the generosity of the corporate heart. But corporations own every thing from the media to the politicians. It's no wonder ignorant people think workers should shut up and go to work only corporations have the right of free speech! Since were financial institution people with rights?

[L Giles]

Kudos to the longshoremen and women!

Anybody around here been griping about the cost of goods? The cost of gas? The mortgage crisis? Where do you think that came from?

OUR DOLLAR IS NO LONGER RECOGNIZED AS THE WORLD'S CURRENCY!

That is because we have no more money to finance this war! TRILLIONS have been spent already, and with no visible result. You Republicans always bitch about paying more in taxes, but you insist we "stay the course"! This war is bankrupting our country, and even the Canadian dollar now holds more value than the US dollar. THAT is why everything is costing more.

And the mortgage bubble was created to help prop up a flagging economy. Now the bubble has burst, and there is nothing left to keep us from going down the toilet.

Read a little about Germany after World War I. How their currency became so devalued that it was worthless. $100-$200 for a loaf of bread. By all means continue to gripe about Commies and pinkos and liberals all you want. You have no one to blame but your greedy selfish selves. We tried to warn you what a 2nd Bush administration would do, but you were more concerned about gay marriage and abortion.

Go dockworkers!

[Randy W]

It's past time to start impeachment hearings for war crimes against the Iraqi peoples and to drag this administration out of office and throw them into Guantanamo. The current so called leaders of the United Staes of America do not support the US Constitution that they swore to uphoad and protect and are a disgrace to the Flag and voters. They all should be tried for their treasoness acts.

[George LoBuono]

This is what democracy is supposed to be: general strikes to shut down criminal regimes in the act. Though some may not see it now, there is only truth in the universe--it is the sum totality of all that exists, all of it. All the rest is either simple-minded slop or small-minded illusion. Those who defend truth can be part of a higher order of mind, categorically more intelligent, literally verging into phenomenal possibilities that others can't. Truth endures and this strike is an inspiration. To hide in some tinsel corner and pamper yourself is to lie about the only solution to global problems. Work for the common good, not an angry, separate hideout.

[Kindel McNeill]

A bunch of cowards wanting a few days off and trying to pose as concerned Americans. Forget it, the Iraq soldiers are keeping your ass safe from terror.

[Shawn]

Kindel McNeill wrote:

"A bunch of cowards wanting a few days off and trying to pose as concerned Americans. Forget it, the Iraq soldiers are keeping your ass safe from terror."
______________

Oh Dear. Ladies and Gentlemen...I present to you the complete idiocy of the 25% lunatic fringe dead-enders in this country who still pretend occupying a foreign country on the other side of the world for no reason makes us safe from evil doin' turrurrusts.

Of course we all have to blindly support Bush's retared and obviously, undeniably failed policies FOREVER and EVER and EVER (or at least 100 Years!) or turrrurrrusts will KILL YOU.

You just keep pretending to "support the troops" by sending more and more to die for Bush's LIES and FAILURES, pal.

Disgusting!

[Lafn Bacstage]

I find it amusing that the Repugnicans express so much concern for working class America and then chastise them for speaking as one voice. That's what unions are all about, giving power to the people. If you claim that shutting down the ports for one day is the cause of inflation, then you are truly stupid or think I'm stupid.

To be honest, I'm ready to reconsider why we permit unbridled capitalism in the name of corporate greed. Call it what you like, socialism, communism, civic responsibility, compassion, democracy or fairness. Something needs to change. If our leaders can not control the plundering of the collective American purse, people will revolt.

[Mike Munoz]

These guys took a day off without pay during a recession to voice their opposition to the war. Thats called sacrifice. They got balls. Go dockworkers

[brian kirkpatrick]

Even if this was a war for oil and it is not, how does your car operate without oil on the way to work, for school, or for fun.