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Protesters shut down US port over conditions and labour violations
20 September 2007
More than 100 demonstrators shut down a major US port terminal last week in protest over a reported deterioration in pay and conditions and anti-union measures at a Seattle-based vegetable processing company.
Led by Washington State Jobs with Justice, the demonstration took place at the Hanjin Shipping Terminal in Seattle port. The terminal is used by the National Frozen Foods Corporation (NFFC) to ship frozen vegetables to customers in Asia.
The protest aimed to highlight a number of key issues following NFFC’s illegal termination of a union contract in July. These included pay cuts of 16 per cent, a cut in health care benefits for seasonal workers, and an increase in the number of qualifying hours for health care, pension benefits and pay increases. The NFFC has also twice attempted to see the ITF-affiliated Teamsters union, which currently represents the workers, derecognised; workers fought back after more than 60 per cent voted to stay with the union.
The demonstrators successfully blocked the main entrance to the 88-acre terminal, chanting slogans in support of workers’ rights. Port workers and marine clerks represented by another ITF affiliate, the International Longshore and Warehouse Union, agreed not to cross the picket line.
Meanwhile, the Teamsters, which held a separate demonstration to back NFFC workers, have filed unfair labour practice charges with the National Labor Relations Board.
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