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1971 ILWU strike

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156:, and another from 1966 to 1971 respectively, forced lay-offs and took recruitment power away from the local unions at each port and gave it to a committee of top union and PMA officials. Prior to the first agreement, this committee introduced non-union laborers to the ports. This was the first time since 1934 that workers who paid union dues and worked under ILWU jurisdiction were allowed to have full-time employment without being granted membership to or benefits from the union. Only the port of Los Angeles resisted the employment agenda early on with organization, but their efforts were squashed as the cargo ships were diverted to other ports (where other longshoremen who were unaware of the Los Angeles port's struggle unloaded the shipments, which were then delivered by truck to the Los Angeles area). 25: 129:(PMA). The union's goal was to secure employment, wages, and benefits in the face of increased mechanization, shrinking workforce, and the slowing economic climate of the early 1970s. The strike shut down all 56 West coast ports, including those in Canada, and lasted 130 days, the longest strike in the ILWU's history. 159:
The second M&M was met with further, much larger-scale opposition by laborers. Steadily through the late 1960s, the hiring process became a matter of rank and file; with a growing number of workers skipping the former usual hiring process and being sent straight to a job. These were, for the most
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While there were still some demands that went unmet after the strike, the longshoremen got most of what they wanted. They received a pay increase (although the Nixon administration cut the wage increase nearly in half because it was disproportionate with "the general wage and salary standard."),
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broadened medical benefits to include dental and prescription medicine for workers and their families, as well as pensions, life insurance, and a lowered retirement age from sixty-nine years old with twenty-five years in the union, to sixty-five years old and twenty-five years in the union.
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The ILWU was still not satisfied with the terms offered by the PMA, so they went on strike for the second time. Because of fear that it would extend the strike by giving the longshoremen work, the PMA stopped shipment of military equipment to Vietnam, prompting Congress to pass arbitration
145:' style of loading and unloading, which required a large number of workers, was dangerous, and expensive for employers, and had become obsolete. Increased imports and exports added incentive for more efficient port operations. The introduction of 420: 184:
went on strike for four days, it was decided that Taft-Hartley must be invoked in order to avoid further damage to the economy. Ports reopened and the 80-day 'cooling-off' period lasted from October 6, 1971 to January 17, 1972.
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When negotiations did not come to agreement at the end of the second M&M on July 1, 1971, longshoremen walked out of every port on the West coast. This was the first fully organized strike by the union since
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ILWU's membership numbers and power in the decade leading up to the strike, under two five-year Mechanization and Modernization contracts that reduced the need for labor and decreased union membership.
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part, crane operators and other skilled labor positions. It was considered honorable among union members to say that they had turned down a job that wasn't a fair hire.
153: 435: 173:, and the first time the entire coast was shut down in opposition to union leaders. Caught in the crossfire were shipments to military personnel in Vietnam. 425: 181: 122: 189:
legislation on February 7, 1972. But the following day, before arbitration could take place, the two sides reached an agreement and the strike ended.
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The first phase of the strike lasted until October 4, when President Nixon set up a
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increased port productivity, and required fewer laborers to load and unload cargo.
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Labor disputes led by the International Longshore and Warehouse Union
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The Mechanization and Modernization contracts (M&M), one from
125:(ILWU) walked out against their employers, represented by the 18: 297:"Effects of automation in the lives of longshoremen" 49:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. 182:International Longshoremen's Association (ILA) 218:, as well as the ILWU's own publication, the 8: 416:Maritime labor disputes in the United States 374:"News Coverage of the 1971 Longshore Strike" 243:"The 1971 ILWU Strike: 130 Days to Victory" 123:International Longshore and Warehouse Union 109:Learn how and when to remove this message 233: 270:"71' STRIKE VOTE! YES – 9317 NO - 343" 328:. National Museum of American History 7: 436:Labor disputes in Washington (state) 47:adding citations to reliable sources 426:Labour disputes in British Columbia 378:Waterfront Workers History Project 247:Waterfront Workers History Project 202:Media coverage in Washington State 14: 121:On July 1, 1971, members of the 23: 411:1971 labor disputes and strikes 34:needs additional citations for 354:. Pacific Maritime Association 206:The strike was covered by the 1: 406:Labor disputes in California 127:Pacific Maritime Association 180:Board of Inquiry. When the 457: 380:. University of Washington 249:. University of Washington 441:Labor disputes in Hawaii 431:Labor disputes in Oregon 268:Imbagliazzo, Daniel. 43:improve this article 326:America on the Move 58:"1971 ILWU strike" 241:Lindsey, Ashley. 119: 118: 111: 93: 448: 390: 389: 387: 385: 370: 364: 363: 361: 359: 348:"Strike of 1971" 344: 338: 337: 335: 333: 318: 312: 311: 309: 307: 292: 286: 285: 283: 281: 265: 259: 258: 256: 254: 238: 147:containerization 114: 107: 103: 100: 94: 92: 51: 27: 19: 456: 455: 451: 450: 449: 447: 446: 445: 396: 395: 394: 393: 383: 381: 372: 371: 367: 357: 355: 346: 345: 341: 331: 329: 322:"Strike of '71" 320: 319: 315: 305: 303: 294: 293: 289: 279: 277: 276:. ILWU local 19 267: 266: 262: 252: 250: 240: 239: 235: 230: 204: 195: 166: 135: 115: 104: 98: 95: 52: 50: 40: 28: 17: 12: 11: 5: 454: 452: 444: 443: 438: 433: 428: 423: 418: 413: 408: 398: 397: 392: 391: 365: 339: 313: 287: 260: 232: 231: 229: 226: 203: 200: 194: 191: 165: 162: 134: 131: 117: 116: 31: 29: 22: 15: 13: 10: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 453: 442: 439: 437: 434: 432: 429: 427: 424: 422: 419: 417: 414: 412: 409: 407: 404: 403: 401: 379: 375: 369: 366: 353: 349: 343: 340: 327: 323: 317: 314: 302: 298: 291: 288: 275: 271: 264: 261: 248: 244: 237: 234: 227: 225: 224: 222: 217: 216: 215:Seattle Times 211: 210: 201: 199: 192: 190: 186: 183: 179: 174: 172: 163: 161: 157: 155: 150: 148: 144: 139: 132: 130: 128: 124: 113: 110: 102: 91: 88: 84: 81: 77: 74: 70: 67: 63: 60: –  59: 55: 54:Find sources: 48: 44: 38: 37: 32:This article 30: 26: 21: 20: 16:Labor dispute 382:. Retrieved 377: 368: 356:. Retrieved 351: 342: 330:. Retrieved 325: 316: 304:. Retrieved 300: 295:Weir, Stan. 290: 278:. Retrieved 273: 263: 251:. Retrieved 246: 236: 219: 213: 209:Seattle P.I. 207: 205: 196: 187: 178:Taft-Hartley 175: 167: 164:1971: Strike 158: 154:1960 to 1965 151: 140: 136: 120: 105: 96: 86: 79: 72: 65: 53: 41:Please help 36:verification 33: 400:Categories 301:libcom.org 274:ilwu19.com 228:References 221:Dispatcher 143:break bulk 133:Background 69:newspapers 193:Aftermath 141:The old ' 212:and the 99:May 2015 384:May 10, 358:May 21, 352:PMA.org 332:May 20, 306:May 10, 280:May 10, 253:May 10, 83:scholar 85:  78:  71:  64:  56:  90:JSTOR 76:books 386:2015 360:2015 334:2015 308:2015 282:2015 255:2015 171:1934 62:news 45:by 402:: 376:. 350:. 324:. 299:. 272:. 245:. 388:. 362:. 336:. 310:. 284:. 257:. 223:. 112:) 106:( 101:) 97:( 87:· 80:· 73:· 66:· 39:.

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"1971 ILWU strike"
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Learn how and when to remove this message
International Longshore and Warehouse Union
Pacific Maritime Association
break bulk
containerization
1960 to 1965
1934
Taft-Hartley
International Longshoremen's Association (ILA)
Seattle P.I.
Seattle Times
Dispatcher
"The 1971 ILWU Strike: 130 Days to Victory"
"71' STRIKE VOTE! YES – 9317 NO - 343"
"Effects of automation in the lives of longshoremen"
"Strike of '71"
"Strike of 1971"
"News Coverage of the 1971 Longshore Strike"
Categories
Labor disputes in California

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