Members of the Seattle Hip-Hop Summit Youth Council and the UmojaFest P.E.A.C.E. Center who joined an inter-generational group organized as Black Women & Men For Union Jobs and representatives of the Coalition for Equitable Union Empowerment at a rally for equitable hiring held Saturday at the International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 19 Union Hall in Seattle.
Seattle, WA - February, recognized as black history month brings many images of African Americans organized and mobilized, marching for jobs and economic and political equity and a better quality of life.
Recently in Seattle, Hip-Hop artists and community members rally for jobs in Seattle. "The best way to honor black history is to make black history...we're standing on the shoulders of giants" said Wyking Allah of the UmojaFest P.E.A.C.E. Center who joined an inter-generational group organized as Black Women & Men For Union Jobs and representatives of the Coalition for Equitable Union Empowerment at a rally for equitable hiring held Saturday at the International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 19 Union Hall.
Poet and Spoken Word artist Geneiva Arunga was on hand to voice her support for the effort. "I'm here today so that we can get more union jobs with the Longshoremen...we need black women and black men to have more opportunities to be hired for these positions".
African Americans, we need jobs and we're still trying to get them." said said M.I.H. Entertainment recording artist D.O.8.
Label mate and mc Money Mark added "They talking about we need to stop all the crime...we need to look at the basis of the problem...we need jobs! Are we supposed to sit out here and starve?"
"Families are hungry, families need food, we need opportunities for employment to secure our future." stressed spoken word artist Toohuti Ptah.
Determined to let their voices be heard, the group braved rainy weather and hostile longshoremen seeking to intimidate and provoke confrontation.
"We're here for a peaceful protest...we're not here to argue...said coalition spokesperson Latanya Horace emphasizing the desire of the group to focus on the issue and not get distracted with personal confrontations.
"We're gonna fight the right way...and we're gonna fight to the end and we know we'll win." said a community member identifying himself as Syed.
The rally and press conference was part of a growing movement for equity in hiring practices and supporting the recent class action charges against the Pacific Maritime Association and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union which jointly administer the hiring of longshore workers in the Port of Seattle.
The charges, filed on February 10th with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the Washington State Human Rights Commission (WSHRC), detail how the employer and union are systematically excluding Blacks and other perspective non-white applicants from the waterfront's hiring process.
The waterfront employers and union recruited a significant number of new applicants to their industry in mid-January via a "lottery". The process "was a complete slap in the face to the unemployed and underemployed in our community and every community." according to Horace.
"It was clearly designed to let as few people as possible find out about the longshore job opportunity who are not already industry insiders. This opportunity was not advertised to the Black community at all, even though our people disproportionately live in the areas that are most impacted by the cargo container traffic between the Port of Seattle and the Puget Sound's major industrial warehouses." she added.
Equal Employment is particularly important to black communities. Recent U.S. Department of Labor reports showed the unemployment rate for African Americans hovering at twice the national average not accounting for those who have been out of the labor market as "permanently unemployed which some say bring the number closer to 25%. For African American teens, the unemployment rate is 44%, higher than any other group.
Stakes are high as Seattle prepares to break ground on major infrastructure improvement projects including the Viaduct replacement, 520 bridge and light rail expansion bringing highly coveted liveable wage jobs to the city.
"We'll be back" Horace stated, reflecting the general sentiment of the group who left inspired, feeling that effort was well worthy of their time despite the hostile weather and hostile attitudes they faced.
For more information email blackwomenandmen@hotmail.com.
The coalition meets on Friday's at 6pm @ the UmojaFest P.E.A.C.E. Center. 1107 24th Avenue in Central Seattle.
-HipHopNationNews © 2011. All rights reserved.
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ILWU Seattle Hiring: Discrimination Against Blacks, other People of Color?by pwolf571,616 views
i really think unions are shutting all kinds of qualified americans out of work only to help the few. those families are contiuning to be employed and creating a devide because things are not equal..i will like to have equal rights not more rights than the next man..there are alot of people i work with that are crappy aircraft mech yet they are held above me like they are better. these guys cant work as a team and are lazy omg..
krzintegraboi 2 months ago
i know what they mean i had to fight and plead to get the job where i work and come to find out im 10x more qualified than most of the people that work here. im on a contractor and the guys are union. i have been here for 4 years and they have never opened up to public and people are getting thier sons jobs here with the union everytime..the union guys think we shouldnt be here and some guys actually said i got hired only because affirmative action LOL..i have my lisence to the the work.
krzintegraboi 2 months ago
Ya need to shut up and stop whining and crying and complaining about jobs and money and get to work getting Obama re-elected. Put on your marching boots and help Obama keep his job! Blah Blah Blah Stop your whining and bitching.
ChulaKirby 5 months ago
Do like the rest of us, hoof the streets till you find one. I never stood around waiting for no job, if I couldn't find one I made one. Unemployment for any length of time is unexcuseable. Take a low paying job and work your way up or start your own business. I believe is equal jobs for all races but I am white and more than qualified for a job that I tried to get and was denied cause I wasn't a minority, had I been black I would have gotten the job. Now I own my own business.
CrismaFire 5 months ago
Need jobs man, here me man, do you feel me man. Will start for $80,000 a year man, know whut I mean man.
4774patrick 5 months ago
about time, my blacks work for them selves ....
say no to white supremacy !
MAJISTYorDIE360 8 months ago