ILWU Seattle Hiring: Discrimination Against Blacks, other People of Color?

Black Women & Men for Equitable Union Employment Opportunities protested on Saturday, February 12, 2011 against ILWU's alleged discriminatory hiring process in Seattle, WA, after filing charges with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the Washington State Human Rights Commission on Thursday, February 10, 2011.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Seattle
• Black
• Women
• and
• Men
• for
• Equitable
• Union
• Employment
• Opportunities
• UmojaFest P.E.A.C.E. Center
• ILWU protest
• protests
• job
• discrimination
• against
• Blacks
• other
• people
• of
• color

[fulgengkoy]

It wasnt announced to the community? It was put into the seattle times. The hiring process was a random lottery that had nothing to do with skin color, age, or anything else it was random. The seattle times is the ultimate community newspaper. Not following procedures is your own fault.

[Pounds90]

Are you retarded ?

[eightup]

How about protesting all the sub-standard wage paying Warehouse Companies that purposely hire in OUR Communities through employment agencies like Labor Ready. Protest the fact that they don't offer health insurance to US. Protest the AT WILL Employment law. Learn the resources on how to find a GOOD Union Job. Go to the Labor Day Marches and Union Halls and ask questions before you try try to smear my UNION. Inlandboatmen's Union- Marine Division of the ILWU-SO CAL Region.

[eightup]

The Labor Movement is closely related to the Civil Rights Movement. DR. MLK JR. died fighting for this cause. F. D. Rosevelt died fighting for this as well. I like the fight in YOU, but you're swinging in the wrong direction. YOU need to educate youself of the POWER a strong Union can have in the community. You need to join the Labor Movement and Vote Union in the workplace. That protest should've been directed to companies like Walmart and Labor Ready who take advantage of our community.

[eightup]

Look, as a African American ILWU Marine Division (IBU-ILWU) member from East Side COMPTON California I understand struggle in the black community. I understand the un fair shake that the HOOD has received by corprate America. I totally and truly UNDERSTAND that us BLACKS are often targets and/or looked at as competition and as a threat to other communities. These problems stills exist in our society BUT the ILWU is not to BLAME for these issues. THE BLIND CAN'T LEAD THE BLIND. Educate yourself.

[RASMARKUSI]

They have it all wrong. 

[lbccwelderman]

What your community blacks only screw you lady . The system is fair its a lottery black white brown it doesn't matter . This lady is just a mad black women who is scared to get a real job.

[fightcorporate]

Harry Bridges, the originator and first president of the ILWU was quoted by saying..."If there were only two dockworkers left in the ILWU....I'd make sure to it that one was a black person."

Like I said... this protest is completely uneducated on the facts that they're arguing. No one was "shut out". Get the fact....THEN protest.

[HalloweenieLins]

@fightcorporate You are so right. The lottery process was introduced in the Port of Los Angeles/Long Beach in 2004 to avoid situations like this. Word spread like wildfire. For years and years, I waited to get in. My Dad is a longshoreman, so was my grandfather and my great-grandfather. Gone are the days of "Grandfathering". I sent in a post card, (I think there were 500,000 sent in). People from all over the world applied. I have a friend from Utah that commutes because she was chosen.

[fightcorporate]

Someone needs to brush up on ILWU history. The union was formed on the very principle BY a "minority" dock worker, FOR minority workers and the ILWU's power and solidarity is fueled by the notion of NO DISCRIMINATION. Discrimination has been FOUGHT and CONDEMNED by the ILWU since it's inception in 1934. The ILWU has been a major player in equal rights and equal opportunity SINCE 1934....not to mention Seattle's EXTREMELY diverse workforce.... Educate yourselves before protesting.