On May 1, all 29 ports on the U.S. West Coast were shut down by the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) in protest against the U.S. war on Afghanistan and Iraq. The Bay Area ILWU local was the first American union to condemn the war. In April 2003, as invading U.S. troops reached Baghdad, six longshoremen were injured and a union official was arrested as police fired on hundreds of antiwar protesters in the port of Oakland.

The Pacific Maritime Association (PMA) notified the union on April 3 that it “doesn’t consent to a stop-work meeting or any other effort to disrupt port operations.” Subsequently the PMA threatened union leaders with court action under Taft-Hartley if they don’t call it all off.

Supporters of the ILWU meet in San Francisco at Mason and Beach (in Fishersmans' Wharf) at 10:30 am on May Day. There was then a march to a 12 noon rally in Justin Herman Plaza. more details

Photos: 1 | 2 | 3 | US dockworkers' union holds eight-hour work stoppage to protest Iraq war | 25,000 Dockworkers Shut Down West Coast Ports in Historic Anti-War Protest

Read More | Longshoremen will close West Coast ports on May 1 to protest war | Grandlake Theater Marquee | Vermont AFL-CIO Calls on Workers to Support Work Stoppage | ILWU May Day Site

Past Indybay ILWU Coverage: 2007 Anti-War Dock Protests | Rallies Related to 2003 Oakland Anti-War Dock Protests | 2002 Lock-Out | 2002 Contract Issues | ILWU Refuses To Unload Italian Ship After G8 Protester Killed in Italy