Historic pact will join workers in global supply chain
SAN FRANCISCO, CA [September 15, 2011] — The ILWU announced a new partnership linking West Coast dockworkers with hundreds of Panama Canal Pilots. The new affiliation will create a larger and stronger union to help workers occupying key links in the global supply chain.
“Our affiliation with the Panama Canal Pilots Union will provide a new level of strength and unity for workers in both organizations,” said ILWU International President Bob McEllrath. “Our goal is to hold global companies more accountable to workers and their communities.”
Secretary General Londor Rankin of the Panama Canal Pilots Union said the decision to join forces was based on a long relationship that culminated on September 7, 2011, following a democratic election in which the Pilots voted overwhelmingly to affiliate with the ILWU. The Pilots Union comprises 250 members who are responsible for guiding roughly 14,000 ships each year through the 48-mile long canal.
The historic alliance was announced after review and approval by the ILWU International Executive Board which met in San Francisco, California on Thursday afternoon.
The Panama Canal Pilots Union was founded in 1919, five years after the Canal opened. The origins of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union date to 1934.
“With so many employers now going global, it’s critical for workers around the globe to join forces and work together,” said McEllrath.
A delegation of leaders from the Panama Canal Pilots Union met with the ILWU International Executive Board on Thursday. The group included Captain and Secretary General Londor Rankin, Captain and Assistant Secretary General Rainiero Salas, and Captain and Business Manager Alvaro Moreno. “We’re proud to become part of the ILWU family and look forward to meeting our new brothers and sisters in the union.”
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