In 2004 we protested the contract vote. What is to say this won’t happen again?

The Longshore Workers’ Coalition sent a letter (click  here) to ILA President Richard Hughes today, requesting clarification on how the ILA intends to conduct the November 17 vote on the proposed contract extension.

Want to send a letter also? Use this (click here) draft.

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Richard P. Hughes, Jr., President
International Longshoremen’s Association
17 Battery Place, Suite 930
New York, NY 10004

Dear President Hughes:

I am writing to ensure that the ratification of the proposed master contract extension is fully consistent with democratic principals and the Labor Management Reporting and Disclosure Act.

At the Wage Scale Meeting on September 30 you announced that Locals would be required to conduct an in-person ratification vote on November 17th from 7 am to 7 pm.

Therefore, I propose the following:

1. The actual language of the proposed contract extension should be mailed to all members at least a month prior to the voting.

2. At least a month prior to the vote, the International should post on its website and mail to all Locals a complete list of deep-sea locals eligible to conduct a ratification vote including the Local’s number, location, craft and the actual number of deep-sea members from each Local eligible to vote. This is the only way to assure a fair accounting of the vote.

3. The International should adopt voting procedures to be followed by Locals, which should include provisions that the locations and times of the voting should be publicly posted on the ILA website and mailed to members at least a month prior to a scheduled vote. Members should be allowed to debate the proposed contract extension at a special meeting for the purpose of discussion on the contract. Finally, the vote should be conducted by secret ballot.

4. The International should affirm that a simple majority of eligible deep-sea ILA members covered under the ILA-USMX master contract voting coast wide determines contract ratification.

5. Any rank-and-file ILA member should be permitted to observe the entire ratification and vote-tallying process to ensure that the vote-counting will be transparent and verifiable. At the end of the vote, no later than 9 pm, Locals should be required to declare the results and the International should post them on its website.

6. Members or groups of members should have access to the Union mailing list at least three weeks prior to the ratification vote to mail, at their expense, written information about the proposed contract extension to all members or groups of members before the vote.

Please provide responses to these proposed procedures within one week. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at the phone number and address referenced above.

In Solidarity,
YOUR NAME
YOUR LOCAL