More than three days later, workers are still in the dark as to what the ILWU top brass has agreed to and no date for a ratification vote has been set.
This is the damning thing to me. If you think it’s a good deal then what is the hold up?
It’s unfortunate that there seems to be a divide between leadership and rank and file. It seems like in the last 40 years of relatively low labour militancy the top levels of many unions have gotten comfortable and complacent. Part of moving forward will have to be replacing those leaders with people more willing to fight.
We saw what we can do when those Ontario unions made Doug Ford back down with his back to work legislation.
The secrecy at the bargaining table is a problem all over the world. Workers are often kept in the dark during bargaining agreements and that makes people suspect that the union officials that are supposed to be leading the fight and the rank-and-file workers have very different goals. A lot of people are calling for the formation of rank-and-file committees to keep the union officials in line, and transparency measures like live-streaming the agreements so workers know what’s up.
They’re not complacent, they’re corrupt. The negotiators and top union management are getting their palms greased to agree to shitty deals.
At least they are in my union, and I think this situation makes it pretty clear this union is compromised as well.
