Port of Oakland to close Friday in May Day protest

ILWU is planning a rally and march against police violence during its regular stop-work meeting.    The Port of Oakland has confirmed it will be closed Friday as members of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union plan to hold a rally and march to protest police violence.
   The port said on its home page, “Terminal operations suspended May 1 day shift for monthly ILWU stop-work meeting.”
   A statement posted on the website of the Transport Workers Solidarity Committee said ILWU Local 10 “voted at its meeting on April 16, 2015 to call for a stop-work meeting on May 1st. It is fitting that on May Day, International Workers Day, Bay Area ports will be shut down to protest the racist police killing of mainly black and brown people.”
   The notice said there will be a rally that morning at the port, followed by a march to Oakland City Hall.
   Port spokesman Mike Zampa said of the announcement, “ILWU has a once a month stop-work meeting prescribed by contract. It’s a long-standing feature. The meetings are usually second shift, third Thursday of the month. On May 1 the union requested first shift for the stop-work meeting.”
   Zampa said the Pacific Maritime Association approved the request, so there will be no vessel yard or gate operations on the first shift, adding that vessel operations should resume with the second shift.