By Clarence Thomas
Solidarity Greetings All, on this second International Day of Action of Dockworkers, in Solidarity with Palestine, Against Genocide and Militarism! This is the largest worker mobilization against war in history. And it’s being initiated by dockworkers, the most critical workers in the supply chain of international commerce, “the mother’s milk of capitalism!”
Dockworkers possess a long history of solidarity with international workers struggles against authoritarianism, fascism, imperialism and racism. ”ILWU, policies and actions on foreign affairs has always been built on the belief that international labor, solidarity and world peace are the cornerstones of social and economic justice for all workers, including the membership of the ILWU.”
ILWU Local 10’s international solidarity actions started in the 1930’s with longshoremen blocking the shipment of supplies to the rising fascist movements in Europe and Asia. In December 1938, members walked off the job and refused to load 8,500 tons of scrap iron to Japan onto the SS Spyros, a Greek freighter.
Led by Harry Bridges, our union’s first international president, this action was taken for two reasons. Standing in solidarity with Chinese Americans, who were being occupied by Japan, and protesting American raw materials being manufactured into Japanese munitions used against Chinese civilians.
When Bridges was questioned about this strategic and effective rank-and-file solidarity action at the point of production, in clear defiance of US foreign policy regarding trade with Japan, he said: “Interfere with the foreign policy of the country, sure as hell! That’s our job, that’s our right, that’s our privilege.”
The union’s anti-fascist action was vindicated, less than three years later following the attack on Pearl Harbor. On July 1940, Congress finally granted President Franklin D. Rosevelt the power to restrict and ultimately ban defense exports and scrap metal to Japan.
It’s in that tradition and spirit that dockworkers in: France, Greece,Basque Country, Italy, Morocco and Turkey, are saying no shipments of weapons of war to Israel to be used against the Palestinian population in Gaza, the West Bank and other Palestinian occupied territories. These courageous dockers are taking the most concrete measures workers worldwide can take, when their respective governments refuse to say no to genocide, displacement, and the destruction of all social political and economic structures of Palestinian life. Workers are withholding their labor. Disrupting the supply chain. In maritime ports throughout the world, the ships will not be be sailing on time today! Shipping, rail, trucking and commercial aviation schedules will be disrupted like a massive configuration of dominoes falling one after another.
I would not at all be surprised if this is the only rally in the country organized by dockworkers in solidarity with this international day of action against genocide in Palestine. Longshore workers in the US don’t have the same rank-and-file militant international working class consciousness, with the exception of the ILWU, specifically Local 10; which is why today, of all days, is such an unexpected disappointment. Local 10, has not laid down its tools, to join our brothers and sisters around the world in saying “Dockworkers don’t work for war! Our ports are not for war profiteering!”
It’s important to note that at the ILWU’s 57th Annual Pacific Coast Pensioners Association meeting, held last month in Tacoma Washington, its delegates unanimously approved a resolution to support the October 30 Mediterranean Port Actions. The action on the part of PCPA reflected an awareness of the pensioners of the history and traditions of the ILWU.
That history includes:
- Refusing to unload South African cargo during the anti-apartheid struggle.
- Boycotting Chilean and El Salvadoran cargo against military dictatorships.
- Shutting down all 29 West Coast Ports to oppose the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan on May Day 2008.
- Block the Boat actions against Israeli ZIM shipping lines, in solidarity with the Palestinian General Federation of Trade Unions and Arab Resource and Organizing Center (AROC) starting in 2014.
- Shutdown of all West Coast Ports in solidarity with George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and other victims of racist police killings on Juneteenth 2020.
In closing, I would like to acknowledge the organizing of the Oakland Peoples Arms Embargo, and its campaign to stop FedEx from transporting F-35 Fighter Jet components to Israel, through the Oakland Airport. FedEx is a war profiteer! The OPAE is an alliance of Palestinian organizations, labor, community and interfaith leaders that are committed to supporting the end to Israeli genocide of the people of Palestine and the prohibition of weapons of war through the Port of Oakland.
FREE FREE PALESTINE!
Clarence Thomas
ILWU Local 10 retired, past secretary-treasurer and executive board member
Cofounder of the Million Worker March Movement
