Vancouver (May 3, 2011) – A new era of stability and openness to women working at Canada’s west coast ports will be ushered in by the new agreement between the International Longshore Warehouse Union Canada and the BC Maritime Employers Association that has received wide support by ILWU Canada members.

“Collective bargaining is alive and working well at Pacific Gateway ports,” said ILWU Canada President Tom Dufresne.

Details of the agreement are being released today following ratification by the ILWU’s membership. 

The agreement is based on three main pillars:

• First, the term of eight years provides unprecedented stability and reliability to everyone associated with the Pacific Gateway – ILWU members and employers alike.
  
  “The interests of ILWU Canada members and the employer are aligned when it comes to having an agreement that delivers reliability and predictability in the workplace.  This is a win-win agreement,” Dufresne said.
  
  
• Second, the agreement includes a new program for maternity and paternity leave – one of the union’s key bargaining demands -- which involves topping up and extending Employment Insurance benefits.
  
  “Making longshore workplaces more attractive as a place of employment for women is long overdue.  For the first time, longshore workers will have the support they need as they raise their families.  We will now be more competitive with other workplaces that women have been more likely to choose because of these kinds of benefits,” said ILWU President Tom Dufresne.
  
  
• Finally, with the eight year term, the ILWU Canada and the employer have agreed to a package of wage and benefit increases that will give ILWU members financial security that is protected by a cost of living factor in the final three years of the agreement. 

The agreements includes an average wage increase of 3.5% every year of the agreement and a cost of living factor starting in year 6 that will protect the purchasing power of ILWU members if inflation exceeds the agreed upon wage increase.

“The agreement will deliver the kind of financial stability our members need.  The employer has also agreed to pension enhancements, a benefit of great importance to ILWI members,” Dufresne said.

Ship and dock foremen in ILWU Local 514 are covered by a separate agreement which is still under negotiation.

Read this information in a pdf file format:  Ground breaking agreement ratified

Supreme Court upholds rights of working people to organize and bargain

On April 29 the Supreme Court of Canada delivered a long-awaited decision reinforcing the constitutional rights of working people.

You will all be aware of what happened in Japan. Our thoughts are with the Japanese Workers.

The General Secretary sent a message to all Japanese affiliates which now can be found on the website of Zekowan. This is a PDF link of the ITF message in Japanese from Zenkowan's homepage. That means our message was translated and distributed by the ITF office to our affiliates.

We have sent a letter of sympathy with our Japanese brothers and sister to Brother Itoya and to Brother Wadenabe on behalf of the Section Chair, the Section and all the dockers of the world.

The latest information we have on ports in Japan is:

• Hachinohe Port (Reports from Hachinohe Branches at 07h43 and 11h30 on 13 March) All branch members are in safety. A part of the company's building caught fire. About half of the containers from the yard is swept away. The gantry crane looks ok. Half of the seawall/breakwater is destroyed.
• Miyako Port (Report from the Miyako Branch at 08h05 on 13 March) Most of the branch members are in safety but some people can not be contacted until now.
• Both the company and union offices have been swept away by tsunami. Most part of the seawall/breakwater is sunk under water.
• Shiogama Sendai Port (Report from the Shiogama Sendai Branch at 13h00 on 12 March) Still chasing the members to confirm their safety. Unable to contact the office via phone or internet. The wharf is annihilated and containers are scattered in the container yard.
• Onahama Port (Report from the Onahama Branch at 21h00 on 12 March) Still chasing the members to confirm their safety. A report from the government indicates that there was no human casualties at the port. Can not confirm the damages made to the port as nobody can access to the port. Can not use mobile phones or internet to communicate. The union office was flooded but is not destroyed.
• Hitachi Hitachinaka Port (Report from the Branch on 12 March) All branch members are in safety. The wharf is annihilated. Export cars have caught fire.
• Kashima Port (Report from the Branch at 10h00 on 13 March) All branch members are in safety. The company headquarters is swept away. Many containers were wiped into the sea.
• Kushiro Port (Report from the Branch at 08h45 on 13 March) All branch members are in safety. Some warehouses were flooded by the tsunami. Short-circuits are reported on machines. Timbers have been swept to the bay.
• Tomakomai Port (Report from the Branch at 14h00 on 13 March) All branch members are in safety. Still investigating the damages to the port facilities. Timbers, drums, buoys have been swept to the bay.

 We will keep you updated when we get more up to date information.

The ITF has also a solidarity web page http://www.itfglobal.org/solidarity/japan.cfm.

Regards,
Frank Leys
Docker's section Secretary of the ITF