The following is a summary taken from a Yahoogroups list:
--- In  ILWU@yahoogroups.com, "Jeff" <smitty1844@y...> wrote:
Brothers and Sisters,
Mike Wilcox (local 21) is working on holding a rally in Tillamook
this Saturday at Noon at the cheese factory. As some of you might know
they are members of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. They
need support and alot of people to let the Managment know that UNION
LABOR will be behind them in their struggles. In Portland the Teamsters
came to our rallys and picket lines during the lockout in 2002.
Lets see how many people we can get to the coast for this rally
and help the Teamsters. Contact either myself or Mike at local 21
before Friday so we have some sort of head count please."
And in a second post:
"Brothers and Sisters, I have more info on the strike by Teamsters on
the Tillamook Cheese Factory in Tillamook, Oregon.
The trucks that are being brought in by the farmers filled with milk
are going to there Non-Union plant in Boardman, Oregon. Production has
been shifted over there for now. My understanding is that the plant
is not privately owned and that the dairy farmers (co-op) are part
owners. Therefore pressure from the farmers to the plant management
is crucial.
There was an ad placed in the local paper for all positions and it
did say "temporary" and due to an ongoing labor dispute. There is picketing going on at 4 gates at the plant along with picketing at the feed store and the grain mill all owned and operated by Tillamook and the farmers. Lines are up 24/7!! This is a unit of approx. 240 employees and up to yesterday only 7
had crossed and gone back in.
Negotiations are slated for this Friday, but are not expected to yield
much.
HEALTH CARE is the issue here.
Any help we can offer is also curcial to us as we will count on them
when it's out turn again ! Once again We are planning to put together a
rally to be held on Saturday. I will be speaking tonight at the
Local 8 Membership meeting hoping to get a couple hundred people down
there.
Contact myself (jeff smith) at Local 8 or Mike Wilcox at Local 21 if
you can be there.
[writer's note: This is all of the information I have, but since it is a Portland person working on this, I thought it would be of interest to the Portland community. What a contrast to the eleation that Tillamook decided to be better to the animla by removing BGH, while screwing their own workers out of health care....]
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