Law enforcement wastes more local public resources providing private escort for multinational corporation’s product
LONGVIEW, WA (September 29, 2011) — This morning, multinational corporation EGT brought a train full of grain into its Port of Longview grain terminal with extensive security provided by public law enforcement agencies. The International Longshore and Warehouse Union permitted the shipment to pass without incident.
Leal Sundet, ILWU Coast Committeeman, said:
Given the abusive tactics of railroad police and Cowlitz County law enforcement acting as the private security force for EGT when they physically accosted sisters, wives, and mothers peacefully protesting on Port of Longview owned tracks the last time a train came in we chose to be the first ones to tone down the intensity in an effort to send a message to Larry Clarke, CEO of EGT, that it would be prudent for him and in the best interest of all parties to sit down with ILWU International President Robert McEllrath to solve this dispute. The only real method of resolution is for that meeting to take place as soon as possible.
The ILWU’s 4,000 longshore workers in the Northwest have helped make the region one of the most successful grain export regions in the world with its productive 80-year relationship with all of the other export grain terminals in Washington and Oregon. What the union seeks from EGT is simply that the company respect the grain industry standards with regard to working conditions, wages and safety that all of the other terminals have already negotiated to mutual benefit with the ILWU and respect the workers’ longstanding jurisdiction at the Port of Longview.
From an ILWU Coast Longshore Division News release