Port Truckers Support ILWU

Port truckers are rallying this week in support of longshore workers at West Coast ports.

Teamsters President Jim Hoffa will address Northern California Maritime and Transport workers at a rally Thursday in preparation for a possible strike or lockout at West Coast ports next month. The rally will take place at 11 am at Port View Park in Oakland, Calif.
On June 30, the contract for over 10,000 West Coast International Longshore and Warehouse Union longshoremen expires, and they may be forced out on strike or locked out.
In addition to Hoffa, other speakers include representatives from the ILWU, the International Longshoreman's Assn., the International Transport Federation, and the Alameda County Central Labor Council.
According to Jim Stewart, a representative of port truckers seeking to organize in the Savannah, Ga., area, simultaneous “solidarity actions” are scheduled to take place at 17 or more other port cities.
“Thousands of ‘Unity on the Waterfront’ T-shirts have been distributed at driver meetings around the country and to port truckers,” Stewart says. “At my home port of Savannah, truckers will rally outside the port gates showing support for the ILA and ILWU.”