ILA TRIES TO UNIONIZE EVERGREEN’S OFFICE WORKERS

ILA TRIES TO UNIONIZE EVERGREEN’S OFFICE WORKERS    The International Longshoremen’s Association confirmed on Tuesday that its Local 1964 is attempting to unionize about 120 clerical and office employees of Evergreen America, based in Morristown, N.J.
   The National Labor Relations Board will oversee a vote by the Evergreen employees on July 17.
   In 1965, the ILA organized Sea-Land’s office personnel in the New York area, but before contracts could be signed, turned them over to the Office & Professional Employees Union.
   The ILA’s pitch to Evergreen America’s employees is the union’s first effort since then to organize office personnel of shipping lines whose vessels call at ports within the ILA’s jurisdiction.
   The ILA unloads cargo at all of Evergreen’s terminals on the East Coast.
   Evergreen America, the U.S. agent of Evergreen, the Taiwanese ocean carrier, said through a spokesperson that “Evergreen America values the work of the ILA, but it does not feel it is in the interest of Evergreen’s employees for them to be represented by Local 1964.”
   Union officials said they could not comment further pending the outcome of the vote.