Published: 15 Jun 2009
The Sydney Branch has formed a Sister port relationship with our ILWU comrades in the Port of Seattle.
The Sydney Branch has formed a Sister port relationship with our ILWU comrades in the Port of Seattle. The Inland boatmen's Union of the Pacific, Marine Division of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union and International Longshore and Warehouse Union Locals 19 and 52 in the Port of Seattle, Washington have joined with the MUA Sydney Branch and have formalised the Sister Port relationship during the ILWU International Convention last week.
The resolution to the conference read as follows:
A RESOLUTION FOR THE 2009 ILWU CONVENTION
SUBJECT: SISTER PORTS BETWEEN MUA, SYDNEY BRANCH, INLANDBOATMEN'S UNION, PUGET SOUND REGION AND ILWU LOCALS 19 AND 52
Whereas: The Inlandboatmen's Union of the Pacific, Marine Division of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union represents ferry and towboat workers and International Longshore and Warehouse Union Locals 19 and 52 represent longshore in the port of Seattle, Washington.
Whereas: The Maritime Union of Australia, Sydney Branch represents ferry, towboat, seafarers, harbour workers, divers and, longshore workers in the port of Sydney, Australia.
Whereas: The world's maritime employers continue to globalize and monopolize the maritime industries our unions represent.
Whereas: There is a constant and real threat by employers to abrogate our labor contracts and reduce the terms and conditions of employment, fought for and won by our rank and file.
Whereas: Worldwide labor unions must match industry globalization with worker globalization and industry abuses with solidarity and militancy.
Whereas: The maritime workers of the Maritime Union of Australia, Sydney Branch and those workers of the Seattle, International Longshore and Warehouse Union share a philosophy of democracy, militancy and global solidarity.
Resolved: The port of Sydney, represented by the Maritime Union of Australia, Sydney Branch and the port of Seattle represented by the International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 19, Local 52 and the Inlandboatmen's Union of the Pacific be united in solidarity as "Sister Ports".
The resolution was carried by the conference formalising the relationship between the ports.
The Sydney Branch has been working on the development of this relationship for some time and is incredibly pleased to have a formalised relationship with the comrades in Seattle.
"International solidarity is the only way forward in the times of corporate globalisation and increasing monopolisation of the Maritime Industry. What this means is that workers in Sydney will be locked into the battles of the workers of Seattle and vice versa. This is a positive thing for working class unity and joint international action", said Sydney Branch Secretary Warren Smith.
Deputy Sydney Branch Secretary Glen Wood represented the Sydney Branch at the ILWU Convention and spoke on the positive nature of the relationship. He took with him greetings from Sydney Branch Secretary Warren Smith who will lead a Branch delegation to Seattle later in the year.
