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Local 6 Convention: members dig deep in hard timesThough Warehouse UnionLocal 6, ILWU is nostranger to hard times,delegates to the local’s 63rd annualconvention Feb. 27 had todig deep as they faced the challengesof today’s U.S. —and theydid so with impressive generosityand determination to organize.The 150 Local members and guests atthe event included a strong turnoutfrom workplaces covered by the NorthernCalifornia Master Contract.“This is important, because we willbe negotiating the Master this year,”Local 6 Secretary-Treasurer Fred Peckersaid. “Guittard Chocolate, in particular,could’ve been working, but the memberstook the time to come here. Thissent a clear signal to the employer thatthey are serious about the contract.”The master contract has shrunk insize over the decades. It now coversseven Local 6 houses, down from a highof around 200, as well as three Teamsterworkplaces. Though it has fewer directparticipants, the master still sets a standardfor wages, benefits and pension formany members of Locals 6 and 17.This year the membership will befighting to maintain pension fundsclobbered by the stock market’s troubles,and facing employers in a takeawaymood.“Employers are using the currentbad economy to try and beat every-For years, the workers in RiteAid’s Lancaster, CA distributioncenter had warnedmanagers not to stack cases ofheavy products on the highestshelves in the warehouse. AfterPedro Morales suffered a serioushead injury, the workers movedfrom words to action.Rite Aid bragged that the Lancasterfacility was “state of the art” when itopened in 1999—even though it lackedair conditioning in many areas, makingit a literal sweatshop for the nearly 600men and women who do the real workthere. The unsafe conditions, mandatoryovertime and punishing productionstandards led the workers to voteto join ILWU warehouse Local 26 twoyears ago. They are still negotiating fora first contract.The top storage level in the areawhere Pedro Morales was working onNov. 24, 2009 is around 30 feet off theground. Morales’ supervisor told himto go help out there because one of hisco-workers was having trouble movinga pallet loaded with cases of brandy.Morales went up in a stock picker,a piece of equipment that raises workersup on a platform. He saw that the palletseemed to be broken. It wasn’t shrinkwrappedall the way, and the bottles atthe bottom were leaning slightly. Helowered himself to the bottom level,bent to pick up a piece of paper, andheard something break over his headand shatter. Next thing he knew, hewas lying on the floor bleeding froma gash in his head. He’d been hit by a6 DISPATCHER • March 2010thing they can out of us, but Local 6’smembership is not in the mood to giveup any ground. They are saying theyare ready,” Pecker said.Local 6’s rank-and-file organizingcommittee continues to work on developingorganizing capacity to build theLocal.“We have to organize to buildpower just so we can keep what wehave,” said committee chair Pedro deSa, who works at Gallo Sales. For thelast two years, the committee has beensurveying the Local 6 area for strategicorganizing targets and learning how toevaluate and approach them. Its March12-13 training drew 20 members ofthe local.Local 6 has been partnering withLocal 54 in the fast-growing Port ofStockton. Three warehouse Local 17employers—Weyerhauser, Nabiscoand Yara—abandoned West Sacramentofor Stockton where they operatenon-union. Locals 6 and 54 are workinga broad program to change thisattitude in Stockton through politicalaction, community partnerships, andon the ground organizing.Delegates and guests at the Local 6Convention heard from a raft of dignitaries,among them California Assemblymember Nancy Skinner; San LeandroMayor Tony Santos; U.S. Rep. BarbaraLee’s district director, Sandra Andrews;California Labor Federation ExecutiveSecretary-Treasurer Art Pulaski; Sanbottle falling from 30 feet. He suffered aconcussion and took four stitches.“I told them just because my boneswere strong enough to handle thisdoesn’t mean it won’t kill the next person,”Morales said. He is still havingdizzy spells and has not been able togo back to work regularly.“We’ve been telling Rite Aid foreverthat they shouldn’t have heavy boxesof liquor in high places,” bargainingteam member Carlos Rubio said. Cal/OSHA also requires that materials bestacked safely. But Rite Aid just keptWhen locked-out Boron worker Dave Irish appealed to delegates and guests atthe ILWU Local 6 Convention, they dug deep. Pictured here (right to left): Irish,Local 6 Trustee John Cortez, Local 6 Secretary-Treasurer Fred Pecker andILWU International Secretary-Treasurer Willie Adams.Francisco and San Mateo Labor Councilheads Tim Paulson and ShelleyKessler, and several officers from theILWU International and neighboringlocals. ILWU guests included InternationalSecretary-Treasurer William E.Adams, newly elected InternationalExecutive Board member Ryan Takasfrom Warehouse Local 5 in Portland,Inlandboatmen’s Union Northern CaliforniaRegional Director Marina Secchitano,longshore Local 10 PresidentRichard Mead, warehouse Local17 Secretary-Treasurer Jeff Carter andBusiness Agent Everett Burdan.The convention delegates snappedto attention when locked-out RioRite Aid workers pull together for safetysaying that its fire insurance requiredit to keep flammable materials by thesprinklers, which are near the roof.Once the workers decided to takeaction on this safety issue, they pulledtogether quickly. In just one week,almost 300 people signed a petitioncalling on management to “removeall liquor from 3rd level picking locationsand placed on the 1st levels oron the floor.” Even anti-union workerssigned on.Then on Feb. 15, the workersgathered during their morning breakTinto worker Dave Irish hit the microphone.Irish explained how he and hisnearly 600 co-workers stood up to theultimatum from their employer thatwould have shredded their good jobsand basic rights. Convention delegatesvoted to make a $500 monthly contributionto the Boron workers’ solidarityfund from Local 6. Trustees HeatherChu and John Cortez called for an onthe-spotcollection that netted $957.“Your contribution is especiallygenerous in light of the challenges facingLocal 6, and is a powerful exampleof the solidarity that’s alive and well inthe ILWU,” Irish said.The Rite Aid warehouse workers have learned what solidarity means. They saw it in their hard-fought organizing drive,they’re seeing it their long push for a first contract, and they’re showing it for the workers in Boron. During the“Docks to the Desert” caravan Feb. 24, they massed on the Hwy. 14 overpass, flashed signs, and cheered.to confront management face-toface.About 15 people started walkingacross the warehouse. Co-workerskept joining them until about 40people surrounded General ManagerRenee Johnson, and several othermanagers who were leaving themorning meeting.“Renee told us they realize theproblem, and are looking into gettingsprinklers on the first floor,” Rubiosaid, “They say ‘Safety is First,’ but we’llhave to keep an eye on them to see thatthey follow up.”