Lottery process for ILWU workers to proceed

Over 80,000 applied for a chance to become a casual member of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union.    The Pacific Maritime Association (PMA), said an arbitrator has ordered the resumption of a lottery that gives workers a chance at becoming a “casual” member of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.
   Under a system agreed to by the union and the PMA, a group that represents ILWU employers, men and women interested in pursuing employment as casual longshore workers submitted post cards in January expressing their interest in the jobs.
   Over 80,000 responses were submitted for a “draw” that had been scheduled for Monday.
   ILWU Local 13 and 63 chose not to participate in the draw, which will add 2,400 individuals to the roster of eligible casuals, after they pass a screening process. Casual workers must report to a union hiring hall each day to see if there is work available that is not being filled by full-time, regular longshoremen. They may only get occasional work for years, but the PMA said the draw is “in response to significant workforce needs at the Southern California ports.”
   As regular longshoremen retire, casuals are promoted to their ranks, and the lottery winners will be used to replenish the ranks of the casuals.
   A note from the presidents of Locals 13, 63 and 94 said, “It has come to the officers’ attention that many interest and replacement cards were returned to the senders by the U.S. Post Office in error.” The note said that disputes or claims about any aspect of the casual processing program must be in writing and received by the a Joint Port Labor Relations Committee.
   The PMA said yesterday afternoon that a “Coast Arbitrator has ordered a restart in the processing of more than 80,000 responses submitted by individuals pursuing ‘casual’ work at the Los Angeles and Long Beach ports.”