ILA Joins with ILWU and Teamsters In Agreement to Protect Union Jobs At America's Ports

LAS VEGAS, NV. (June 28, 2001) ILA President John Bowers told thousands of cheering Teamsters delegates here at their union's International Convention in Las Vegas that his union, along with the West Coast Longshore Union, would join with the Teamsters on a unity organizing campaign to "deliver a powerful message that anything that moves in and out of our ports will be done 100 percent union."

The leaders of the three unions- Mr. Bowers of the ILA; James Spinoza, President of the International Longshore Workers Union (ILWU) and James Hoffa, President of the Teamsters - addressed Teamster Convention delegates on their joint organizing campaign to unionize Port Drivers throughout North America and to protect each other's jurisdiction to ensure that North America's ports are "wall-to-wall union."

After ILA President Bowers declared the his union was "ready to forge this new partnership with the Teamsters and ILWU to achieve a bright and prosperous future for our respective membership" and the three International Presidents stood at center stage in the packed convention hall with raised hands joined together, a resolution supporting Teamster efforts to organize port drivers was approved by delegates.

Each union pledged to honor and respect each other's jurisdiction.

Teamster delegates loudly applauded Mr. Bowers when he also told them that the ILA joined the Teamsters in fighting expansion of the North American Free Trade Agreement which will allow unsafe Mexican trucks and poorly paid and unrepresented Mexican truckers to operate freely in the U.S., in direct competition with Teamsters.

"The ILA will not handle these unsafe trucks at any piers we work," Mr. Bowers declared to the supportive audience.

The ILA leader also thanked the Teamsters for their ongoing support of the ILA's Charleston Five. He thanked Teamsters Port Director George Cashman for attending and speaking at the rally in support of the Charleston Five which was held on June 9 in Columbia, South Carolina.