Union Solidarity Continues to Keep Ship Marooned
Determined not to turn back and shunned by unionized dockworkers all along the West Coast of North America, a cargo ship loaded by nonunion workers in Australia is now entering its third week marooned in the waters off Long Beach.
As a show of solidarity with unionized longshoremen Down Under, Port of Los Angeles dockworkers refused May 9 to unload any cargo from the Columbus Canada, a vessel laden with frozen beef and lamb that was put aboard by nonunion laborers.
Legal action, arbitration and negotiations between the shipping company and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union have taken weeks, leaving the crew of the Columbus Canada with little to do but look out on the Long Beach skyline and await a resolution.
In a pair of efforts designed to break the deadlock and recover lost profits, the ship’s German operator, Columbus Line, has filed a complaint with the National Labor Relations Board and sued the union for nearly $5 million in damages.
But despite those actions, it still could take weeks until the Columbus Canada’s fate is determined.
Even if the labor board finds that the union must unload the cargo, that decision won’t be made until late this week, said board attorney Bill Pate.
Both the union and the Columbus Line declined to comment.
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