NY Waterfront Commission turns back challenge

   The president of the International Longshoremen’s Association says a joint lawsuit by his union and two employer groups against the Waterfront Commission of New York Harbor will continue despite the decision last week by a federal judge that denied a request by the union and employers for a preliminary injunction.
   The ILA, the New York Shipping Association and the Metropolitan Marine Maintenance Contractors Association have filed a lawsuit accusing the commission of overstepping its authority by imposing hiring rules that they claim conflict with those in newly signed union-employer contracts.
   The Waterfront Commission says the “allegations of improper interference with the collective bargaining process are categorically untrue” and that the lawsuit “is actually designed to prevent the commission from fulfilling its mandate to ensure the fair hiring of a diverse workforce in the port.”
   Daggett called on his members to “give their best efforts for our employers. They have been strong partners with us in this important fight.”