ITF Unions in Maersk
Securitas fires union activist
3 April 2008
Security guard George Twiggs fired by Securitas at APM Terminal after sticking up union leaflet
For seven months security guards employed by Securitas at the Maersk-owned APM Terminal in Tacoma, USA, have been struggling for the right to be represented by the ILWU (International Longshore and Warehouse Union). One of them is 56 year-old George Twiggs, an active member of the ILWU who was working for the Securitas security company until February 14, when he was dismissed.
He explained: “A Securitas manager told me on the phone that I was terminated because I had been ‘posting unauthorised union propaganda material’. The material mentioned was a union flyer with the headline ‘Welcome to ILWU Country – Local 28 - Your New Union.“
“I was told directly by Securitas that the APM management did not want union flyers from ILWU in the port. In the past it was never a problem,” He continued.
George Twiggs has been working at the APM Terminal of four years – the last ten months of them for Securitas. In a letter to him, Securitas wrote that he had been fired for “causing a hostile working environment”.
Securitas has until now declined to accept the employees’ choice of ILWU as their union. Because of this, the security guards have no collective bargaining agreement. According to the ILWU, the workers are paid only half of the wage that port security guards receive in other terminals under collective agreements, and most of them lack sufficient health insurance.
According to George Twiggs there are many problems in Securitas at the APM Terminal. “They keep the wages low and the employees have lost confidence in the management a long time ago.”
The ILWU has now filed charges against Securitas at the National Labor Relations Board because of the termination. Peter Olney, ILWU Organising Director, said: “We are confident that George will get his job back. And we hope that Maersk will start ensuring that the workers in the port can be represented by the union they support.”
But Maersk do not want to intervene in the dispute. Vice President of Maersk Inc. in the US, Charles O’Connor, said: “It is a dispute between Securitas and the ILWU. APM Terminals is not involved in this dispute. We have no knowledge as to the circumstances leading to the alleged dismissal of the Securitas employee”.
Local activists have blocked the terminal twice with pickets in the past months to protest against union busting in the port, demanding that Maersk takes action.
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