Jill Serjeant and Bernard Woodall report for Reuters:
LOS ANGELES, May 1 (Reuters) – Ports along the U.S. West Coast, including the country’s busiest port complex in Los Angeles, shut down on Thursday as some 10,000 workers went on a one-day strike to protest the war in Iraq, port and union officials said.
“We are hearing there is no activity taking place up and down the West Coast,” said Steve Getzug, spokesman of the Pacific Maritime Association, which represents all 29 ports from San Diego to Washington state. “There is no unloading or loading.”
The International Longshore and Warehouse Union said some 10,000 workers joined the protest. The union says that many of the big shipping companies are profiting from the war.
“Longshore workers are standing down on the job and standing up for America,” said ILWU International President Bob McEllrath. “We’re supporting the troops and telling politicians in Washington that it’s time to end the war in Iraq.”
Well, at least somebody gives a bleep.
While American media were obsessing about the Rev. Wright, the April death toll in Iraq was the highest in eight months. Fifty U.S. soldiers were killed, bringing the total to 4,065 U.S. soldiers who didn’t live to see the Fifth Anniversary of Mission Accomplished Day.
Outright Barbarous
Jeff Feldman has a new book about to be published called Outright Barbarous: How the Violent Language of the Right Poisons American Democracy 
My hats of to the ILWU, the union who took this action. Americans can surprise you. This was a shot from an unexpected quarter, not the ACLU, or the teachers union, but from Longshormen. I have been vocal in my criticism of Congress for continuing to fund the fiasco in Iraq. Maybe the actions of organized labor wil help them find more backbone.
My hat is off to all my old friends in ILWU local 13 in Wilmington, CA.I hope Pile Drivers local 2375 (my former local) supported their Mayday effort, and I trust they did….
Not surpisingly, no mention of this anywhere in the news.
They’re too busy still covering Rev. Wright v. Obama. John Stewart had the best line (to paraphrase): ‘By the amount of coverage he’s received, you’d think Rev. Wright was a missing white girl!’
Go ILWU!!! Show us the way!
ILWU Rocks! Thanks to the brothers and sisters who sttod the line Thursday.
I shouldn’t be but am entirely surprised to see this BIG NEWS FIRST story tucked into my favorite blog. Not a jot about it in local newspaper, local TV, or on PBS. If the ILWU had picketed Spears or Lohan, it would have been the lead story.
I am impressed that a union acted in the larger interest of the country and the planet at a financial cost to themselves. Thank you ILWU!!!!
Did not see it on the news, although I did not see the entire news broadcast last night. I flip between the Newshour and what’s between the drug commercials on ABC, CBS and NBC.
and by country I am including the military and the troops.
Our Union needs more unions!
From Steve Getzug, spokesman for Pacific Maritime Assn, “Is this a voluntary war protest or a strike aimed at leveraging labor negotiation? We’re not sure. We’re concerned. We thought these kinds of TRICKS (my emphasis) were a thing of the past.”
It’s his use of the word ‘tricks’ which gets me in my gut. As a native San Franciscan, I’m quite familiar with the Longshoremen’s union which was once a vocal, strong and respected union. ‘Union’ has since become almost a dirty word. And apparently made up of not human beings who deserve respect, have a legitimate place at the table of business, but people who are mere tricksters. Very sad.
I was traveling yesterday and didn’t get any MSM, but my wife was home and is a serious news freak. So I read her the first paragraph of the piece above and she said, “Never heard of it.” Good to know the MSM is keeping us all up to date on the important events of the day. Gotta run now – they’re talking about Rev. Wright…