Last week's train blockade by 600 longshore workers in Longview harkens back to 1934, when Seattle longshoremen blocked a train at Smith Cove. In that strike during the union's formation, 250 police officers yielded batons, tear gas and shotguns against the strikers.
“EGT would like to be the Walmart of the grain business and force everyone else into their agenda.”
– Scott Mason, president of Tacoma-based ILWU Local 23.
On July 14, hundreds of ILWU (International Longshore and Warehouse Union) members blocked a mile long Bulington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) grain train from entering the new terminal at Longview, which transnational EGT wants to operate with scab labor. On July 11, about 100 union members were arrested by Longview police for a similar action.
This time, BNSF rerouted the train to Vancouver and suspended the delivery to EGT (which estimates it can save $1M with scabs).