Posted on 10/03/2023 5:40:35 AM PDT by bert
The International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) representing U.S. dockworkers on the West Coast filed for bankruptcy protection last week amid a pending lawsuit over unfair work slowdowns and stoppages.
The ILWU, which represents 22,000 dock and warehouse workers at ports along the West Coast from San Diego to Washington state, including the nation’s busiest container port at Los Angeles and Long Beach, is in the midst of litigation with the Oregon branch of the International Container Terminal Services Inc. (ICTSI) over illegal work stoppages and slowdowns amid labor disputes.
A federal court found in 2019 that the ILWU had engaged in illegal labor practices from 2013 to 2017 through work slowdowns and stoppages, holding the union liable for $93.6 million in damages against ICTSI Oregon, which operated a shipping terminal at the Port of Portland during that period.
An Oregon judge later reduced the amount of damages to $19.1 million, which ICTSI rejected and prompted a new trial to be scheduled as it seeks damages in a range of $48 million to $142 million. The ILWU has argued that damages shouldn’t exceed $3.9 million and says it lacks funds to cover legal expenses that would ensue with the new trial.
The International Longshore and Warehouse Union filed for bankruptcy amid a legal dispute with a former Port of Portland terminal operator about liability for unlawful work slowdowns and stoppages. (Mario Tama / File / Getty Images)
"While we have attempted numerous times to resolve the decade-long litigation with ICTSI Oregon, Inc., at this point, the union can no longer afford to defend against ICTSI’s scorched-earth litigation tactic," ILWU President Willie Adams said in a press release.
"We intend to use the [C]hapter 11 process to implement a plan that will bring this matter to resolution and ensure that our Union continues to do its important work for our members and the community," Adams added. "The Officers are confident that we are taking the right step to put our organization on the best path forward — and we are optimistic for all that is ahead."
In its Chapter 11 bankruptcy petition, the ILWU listed assets of more than $11 million with about $9.5 million in cash on hand. The bankruptcy process gives the filing entity the opportunity to restructure and resolve outstanding debts with creditors.
ICTSI, which is based in the Philippines and is the parent company of ICTSI Oregon, told Reuters in a statement that the ILWU’s bankruptcy filing was the union’s "latest maneuver to avoid accountability."
This August, the ILWU ratified a new six-year contract for U.S. dockworkers that boosted pay and benefits for 22,000 employees at 29 ports along the West Coast.
Negotiations over the new contract began in 2022, and port terminal operators accused ILWU members of withholding labor and slowing down operations, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal.
Just because the US is perceived as a wealthy country doesn’t mean we should pay the freight for everyone else. Is should be Fair Trade instead of Free Trade. Match our policy to trading partners policy.
I was a member of the ILWU for five years out of Local #37...this was in the early 80’s and I HAD to be a member to work at a union cannery in Alaska for my summer job.
The day before this multiple murder I was on the phone speaking with Silme Domingo (first name pronounced Lynn) as he was helping me with an insurance issue...A very nice man.
The ILWU has been dead to me ever since...
How much of their money got sucked up by democrats ?
Not dead. Not even wounded. This is a legal dodge to protect their assets. They’ll reincarnate as something else, and they’ll be debt free and stronger than ever. I watched builders do this during the 2008 crisis. They’d end up owning all the property that was pledged as assets against loans and the banks got stuck with the bad loans and unfinished jobs. (A bunch of shell companies were involved.) The builders made out very well for themselves. I attended a bankruptcy celebration by one of them when I was writing articles for the newspaper. The developer explained how he’d much improved is position by going bankrupt. The party was in his multi-level downtown house valued at the time for over a million dollars. It was two blocks from the Florida Capital building. He now owned it and most of his equipment free and clear.
If they go bankrupt, does the federal government take over their pension liabilities?
Interesting, thanks for posting that.
Thanks for your insight.
I think that in the real world “Free Trade” is sort of a philosophical economic illusion. Although America is a “Free Country”, there are tons and tons of self imposed limits on those freedoms.
Progressives live to take away all freedoms.
In the real world, “Fair Trade” is the day to day sought after reality. In the real world every sovereign nation acts in it’s own self interest. The result is that self interests don’t agree and trade barriers are erected.
On Free Republic, there are those who lack the ability to tell the difference
I believe the ONLY good unions are for tradesmen....apprenticeship programs school once a weeknight year round etc... I have a journeymans in Roofing out of Local 33 Dorchester Massachusetts...even when not working I had to go to school for 3 years. A trade I can take anywhere in The U.S. as far as these thieves I hope they drown in their deviousness.
A long & winding road to oblivion.
UNION workers do NOT always win.
I’m afraid the gubment will bail them out ala the auto unions, err, industry.
You betcha!
The Union President ( “I just went out for coffeee and when I came back all these guys were dead...What, you think I had a hand in it ?” ) was charged with orchestrating the murders and when he took the stand — apparently he set the record for ‘taking the 5th Amendment’ for a record number of times in a Federal Court.
At least Reagan was President!
Lousy communist-controlled unions have, since the 1930s, been a pain in the Nation’s butt...
Actually, the reason the mob got the unions was because the government decided it better for the mob to run unions than the communists.
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