Google free translation: Italiano, Norske, Português, Türk, 中国的, 한국의, Bahasa Melayu, ภาษาไทย, हिंदी, اردو, தமிழ், Kiswahili, Deutsch, Español, Français, Svenska, Русский, العربية

In memory of John Bowers, 20-year ILA President and former ITF Dockers’ Section Chair

23 August 2011
 
It is with sadness that I heard John M. Bowers, one-time Chair of the ITF Dockers’ Section, had passed away on Sunday at his home in Long Island at the age of 88.
 
John led the International Longshoremen’s Association AFL-CIO as its International President from 1987 to 2007 and was widely recognised for bringing growth and stability to the cargo shipping industry while negotiating exceptional benefits for ILA dockworkers.
 
John’s contribution to the labour movement extended beyond America’s waterfront borders. He served on the Executive Board of the International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF), a worldwide labour organisation representing more than 4.5 million transport workers in 155 countries. He was elected as a Vice President of the ITF in March 1990 and re-elected in 1994, 1998 and 2002. He also spent time as Chair of the ITF’s Dockers’ Section.
 
I was honoured to know John and his guidance and support will be sadly missed by dockers, wharfies and longshoremen around the world.
 
The Chair of the Section, and ITF President, Paddy Crumlin, has expressed his condolences on behalf of the ITF family, joined in this by a personal message from the ITF General Secretary, David Cockroft.
 
Please find both these messages on the right of this page.
 
Frank Leys, Dockers’ Section Secretary