Occupy Oakland votes to shut down all west coast ports on December 12

THE Occupy Oakland movement leadership has announced plans for a one-day shutdown of all US west coast ports on December 12, though it is unclear whether they have the support of the previously friendly International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU).

The ILWU backed the Occupy Oakland movement for a less than a day shutdown of the Port of Oakland, but if closures threaten to be much longer, the union support is uncertain.


According to the motion passed unanimously by the Occupy Oakland general assembly, the west coast ports will be closed for a day on December 12, specifically because of a grain handling dispute in September when EGT, an international grain exporter, hired labour from a less troublesome union.


ILWU Local 21 is engaged in a struggle against international grain exporter EGT in Longview, Washington, reported the San Francisco Bay Guardian.


The Occupy Oakland statement also said: "Since the EGT continues to attack the longshoremen at Longview, we will now shut down ports along the entire west coast."


At the time of the "attack", the New York Times reported: "About 500 longshoremen stormed the new $200 million terminal in Longview before sunrise, carrying baseball bats, smashing windows, damaging rail cars and dumping tons of grain from the cars, police and company officials said."


Said the Occupy Oakland declaration: "In the event of police repression of any of the mobilisations, shutdown may be extended to multiple days. Should there be any retaliation against any workers as a result of their honouring pickets or supporting our port actions, additional solidarity actions should be prepared," said the statement.


The Occupy Oakland leadership also said that Occupy Los Angeles has already called for action against one LA company, SSA Marine, a shipping company owned Goldman Sachs.