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8 February, 2010
The lockout by Rio Tinto Minerals on 560 union members of International Longshore & Warehouse Union (ILWU) in Boron, California, is now eight days old, and there is no sign that management intends to engage in talks anytime soon.
Instead, Rio Tinto has engaged the services of US security firm J.R. Gettier of Wilmington, Delaware, to bus replacement workers across picket lines and to give menacing, paramilitary looks to ILWU members and their families in the Mojave Desert town of Boron, 122 kilometres east of Los Angeles.
Gettier advertises itself as a full-service company with strike security teams that “comes to your site to manage a labor-management dispute.” JRG Services, a division of J.R. Gettier, provides clients with temporary or replacement workers that “assist in meeting your company’s … needs.”
The lockout will be the central focus when the International Mining and Maritime Unions meet in Palmdale, California, on 15 February, which includes the ICEM and the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF). The multi-union organisation, which includes the predominately maritime and dockworkers’ ILWU, based in San Francisco, has already issued a statement in support of the locked-out workers:
“Our solidarity goes to ILWU Boron miners and their families in particular who have suffered these attacks on the morning of January 31 for defending workers’ rights and refusing to capitulate to the bullying tactics of Rio whose agenda is to break the union in order to slash wages and benefits.”
The ICEM issued a statement on 1 February, stating that it will use its role as the leading Global Union Federation in the mining industry “to alert trade unions around the globe, particularly those representing Rio Tinto workers, of the lockout and urge them to take action on behalf of ILWU Local 30.” That full statement can be found here.
And the ITF, on 5 February, in a message to the ILWU, said the “lockout can be seen as the lowest reaction of the employer to a workforce that strives for dialogue … we acknowledge you and your families’ fight, your strength and courage to stand up together against a corporation that is doing all in its power to confront the workforce and weaken the union.”
ILWU President Bob McEllrath said, “We are going into a big battle, and it is going to be a long and hard fought one,” in thanking unions which have already expressed support.
Please visit Local 30's website here.
A previous contract for ILWU Local 30 expired on 4 November 2009. On 29 January, management presented workers with a concessionary proposal with the orders to either accept it or face a lockout. On 30 January, all 500 union members who attended a union meeting to discuss the proposal rejected it. The company seeks unprecedented changes to workers’ seniority, shift and overtime assignments, and the manner in which promotions are made, as well as seeking unilaterally changes on flexibility that will allow it greater latitude to sub-contract jobs.
The global mining house Rio Tinto posted pre-tax profits on US$16 billion in 2008. Rio Tinto Minerals, which also operates globally, is based in the US state of Colorado and the borax, or sodium borate mine in California is the world’s second largest borates mine in the world, producing 42% of the world’s refined borates compounds.
The ICEM urges all affiliates and supporters to send protest letters to Rio Tinto, condemning the lockout. Click here for a model, paste the text onto your letterhead, and send to Rio Tinto CEO Albanese at [email protected], copied to [email protected] and [email protected].