During negotiations in 2004, ILA leadership agreed to drastically reduce retiree care, break up our benefits into 4 tiers by hours, increase co-pays and reduce coverage. They surrendered to management’s claim that without cuts the union’s heath care plan, MILA, would have $731 million deficit.

Now MILA has made a $1.1 billion dollar about face. According to recent projections, MILA may have a $600 million surplus by the end of our contract in 2010.

Who will get our money?
Will it go to restore the benefits they took away?
Will the employers try to take it?
Will we be forced to pay for our own wages and benefits with money we already negotiated?

The answers depend on how informed and mobilized the ILA membership becomes.

In NY-NJ officials who are MILA trustees continue to agree to benefit reductions. In January, MILA changed from a Preferred Provider Network to “Open Access” reducing the several benefits and reducing the number of doctors covered by our plan. In spite of the surplus, they continue not to pay for benefits that members in NY-NJ have had for years, such as vacation, holiday, compensation and training hours counting toward benefits. A key provision given that many members don’t work enough hours to make benefit levels under the 2004 contract.

The USMX-ILA leadership put the 2004 contract into effect after a questionable membership vote. Once they implemented the contract, the government indicted several ILA officials responsible for negotiations on racketeering charges related to earlier MILA deals.

ILA international leadership blames every one but themselves. A recent flyer, which appeared in NY/NJ, blames the government, although during the time of negotiations the Feds had not filed a racketeering case against the union and MILA.

Many of the same officials also lay blame on Southern ILA locals, pitting union against union. They say the southern locals are jealous of benefits in the north. But take a look at what happened in the Port of Charleston.

Prior to MILA, ILA Local 1422 had negotiated some of the best health care benefits in the country for members in the Port of Charleston. The union had made sure that the employers fully funded their plan and built reserves in excess of $76 million. After being coerced into MILA by the current international leadership, MILA ate up all of Charleston’s reserves. As a result of MILA’s mismanagement, the local Charleston plan, which covers dental, vision, life insurance, and weekly disability, would have welfare reserves of less than $7million by the end of this present contract. That is nearly a $70 million drop since MILA was implemented.

We must unite to expand our benefits during upcoming negotiations with increased employer contributions. East and Gulf coast container ports continue to have double-digit growth! The carriers, shippers and terminal operators are flush. We must fight for the wealth we produce.