Podcasts about warehouse union

In Part 2, we pick up where we left off in Part 1. Nato details the three times he's left his hometown of San Francisco.   The first was when he went to college, which was at Reed in Portland, Oregon, in the mid-Nineties. To get us there, Nato rattles off all of the ways that he was a "comedy head" before that was even a thing. At Reed, he met a guy who's dad was the manager of the Comedy Underground in Seattle. Nato's first time doing stand-up on stage was at the Comedy Underground, in fact.   As he describes it, to say that he bombed that first time would be an understatement. "It's the closest I've ever come to literally shitting my pants." Nato then does a rendition of his first joke that night. Audible growls are heard in our recording.   Nevertheless, he did a few more open-mics at that spot in Seattle. He liked it enough. But after graduating from college and moving back to The City, he dedicated his life to being a union organizer.   As a history student at Reed, he'd written a thesis about the anti-Chinese movement in San Francisco in the 1870s. Nato then explains how the series Warrior is based on this time in SF. There's bits in the story about the incredibly racist and anti-union human for which Kearny Street is sometimes attributed to. That thesis is what got Nato interested in doing labor work.   He resumed going to comedy shows, but not getting up on stage. Around the time he turned 30, he found himself laboring over the jokes he'd tell at all the weddings he'd go to. He was also asked to give talks at labor conferences, which doubled as canvasses for Nato to deliver more of his own comedy material.   All of these comedic sprinklings led him back to the stage. His first regular spot back in SF was the BrainWash (RIP) on Folsom Street. Once again, the jokes bombed, though his pants fared better this go-round. He offers up another telling of a joke from that era of his. You've been warned. As he left the BrainWash one of those nights, local comedy legend Tony Sparks asked him to come back the next week, and he did. Eventually, Nato invited his friends to come see him perform.   He'd moved back to San Francisco in 1997 to do union organizing, as we've mentioned. Two years before that, John Sweeney had been elected president of the AFL-CIO. Sweeney pushed to "organize the unorganized" and bring young people into the labor movement. Nato was part of this wave. He got a job at Noah's Bagels and organized a union there.   He went to anything he heard about that interested him. He and his then-girlfriend/now wife would attend talks and rallies together. Nato would sometimes find himself that only ally at, say, LGBTQIA union meetings. This was well before we even used words like "ally."   Nato was approached to organize workers at the Real Foods on 24th Street. Then the International Longshore and Warehouse Union was beginning to organize bike and car messengers in San Francisco. Nato worked as a car messenger, which he did for three years, and helped organize his coworkers. We go on a short sidebar about bike messenger culture in The City in the late-Nineties. It was huge.   A few moves from union to union here and there, and Nato found himself raising money and helping to open a low-wage workers' center for young and immigrant folks in the service industry. That center is still around today.   The second time Nato left San Francisco was in 2012. This flight took him to New York City, where he relocated to write for his friend W. Kamau Bell's first TV show, Totally Biased. As Nato puts it, he "got the chance to be a Jewish comedy writer living in Brooklyn for six months." Then, in 2018, he and his family moved to Havana, Cuba, for six months while his wife worked on her PhD research.   Nato says that the only time he was tempted to relocate permanently was during his time in NYC. His kids liked it there. They looked at different neighborhoods and even schools. But Nato wasn't all that happy in New York. The experience took a toll on his friendship with Kamau (they've since moved on and are tight once again). And then the show got canceled. The universe had spoken.   That center he'd helped to found back in San Francisco had passed the nation's first minimum-wage municipal law. In 2006, they helped pass paid sick days here in The City. Nato had left the organization just before that to join the California Nurses' Association (CNA). Through that org, he was part of the ultimately successful effort to keep St. Luke's hospital open.   It was after his time with the CNA, 2011 or so, that Nato returned to doing stand-up.   He recorded his first comedy album and went on his first comedy tour (with Kamau). In 2014, he returned to organized labor, joining Service Employees International Union (SEIU) 1021. He works there today, as head of collective bargaining.   We return to comedy and Nato lists off some more folks doing open-mics with him a decade or so ago who've moved on to various levels of fame and recognition—Ali Wong, Chris Garcia, Shang Wang, Kevin Camia, Moshe Kasher, and Brent Weinbach, to name a few.   Nato takes us on yet another sidebar, but it's a good one. It's all about the "Punchline Pipeline," the system by which local comics can test their chops for a while until they're ready (or not) to move on to bigger and better things.   It took Nato three years to work up to the level of paid host at The Punchline. Around 2006, to go back, he and Kamau started doing political comedy shows together. This was during the George W. Bush years, when "leftist," "liberal" comedy was big. Then Obama got elected and that type of comedy cooled off considerably. Nato started to host shows at The Make-Out Room monthly. He credits that stint as the time that he "figured it out."   Nato still does stand-up, though not with the intensity with which he performed in his Thirties. Today, he contributes regularly to The Bugle Podcast. He works with Francesca Fiorintini and her Bitchuation Room show. He's also trying to find time to write a book—a funny take on union organizing. And he's kicking around the idea of another comedy album, which would be his third.   Follow Nato on Instagram and Blue Sky. His two albums are available to stream or buy on BandCamp.   We end the podcast with Nato's thoughts on our theme this season: Keep It Local.   We recorded this episode at Nato's home on Bernal Hill in January 2025.   Photography by Nate Oliveira

International Longshore and Warehouse Union v. National Labor Relations Board

Ralph welcomes Allan Brownfeld from the American Council for Judaism to discuss, along with our resident constitutional scholar, Bruce Fein, the history of Jewish anti-Zionism and how Judaic principles can conflict with the Zionist project. We also review how university presidents recently responded to questioning from a congressional committee about free speech on campus.Allan Brownfeld is the Editor of Issues, the publication of the American Council for Judaism (an 80 year-old organization that has opposed Zionism since its inception) and a syndicated columnist who has worked as associate editor of The Lincoln Review and a contributing editor to such publications as Human Events, The St. Croix Review, and The Washington Report on Middle East Affairs. Mr Brownfeld has served as a staff aide to a U.S. Vice President, Members of Congress, and the U.S. Senate Internal Subcommittee.Everybody is afraid of this label “antisemite” if they criticize Israel. Israel has succeeded—in fact, it's a tactic used by the Israeli government. The former Education Minister [Shulamit Aloni] said it very clearly—when someone in Europe attacks us in any way, we bring up the Holocaust. In America, if anyone attacks us, we call them antisemitic. That's silencing criticism.Allan BrownfeldWhat has happened in recent years can be compared to idolatry. Just as in the Bible when we have people worshiping the golden calf, we have Jews now worshiping not the universal God, but the state of Israel has become the focus of attention—has become almost the object of worship. And I think that this will change as Israel's behavior continues as it is now, and as Jewish Americans slowly come to realize that the values they hold dear—religious freedom, separation of church and state—are exactly the opposite values that the state of Israel promotes.Allan BrownfeldIt's good in any criticism to criticize the Netanyahu regime rather than Israel. There's a lot of opposition to Netanyahu in Israel [and he doesn't represent all Israelis] any more than Trump represents Americans. And we're seeing here—as Allan has pointed out—the most extreme right-wing, militaristic, jingoistic government in the history of Israel, headed by Netanyahu. And he's let the military run riot in Gaza. It's out of control.Ralph NaderBruce Fein is a Constitutional scholar and an expert on international law.  Mr. Fein was Associate Deputy Attorney General under Ronald Reagan and he is the author of Constitutional Peril: The Life and Death Struggle for Our Constitution and Democracy, and American Empire: Before the Fall.What speaks volumes about [the Harvard Board of Overseers] statement is that it pretends that the only thing that has happened is October 7. Suddenly the world stopped. Nothing happened afterwards. It ignores completely what's ongoing in Gaza, which I think speaks volumes about the bias and the prejudice there.Bruce FeinIn Case You Haven't Heard with Francesco DeSantis1. On Tuesday December 12th, the Senate Judiciary Committee held the first congressional hearing on Corporate Crime since 1980. This hearing consisted of two panels, one made up of government witnesses and another featuring civilians, including Professor Brandon Garrett – architect of the Corporate Prosecution Registry. The main focus of the hearing was the decades-long decline in corporate criminal prosecutions at the Department of Justice, and what the Department needs to pursue a more expansive vision of corporate criminal justice. The full hearing is available at the Senate Judiciary Committee website. 2. On December 7th, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres invoked Article 99 of the UN Charter, in light of the mounting civilian death toll in Gaza. Article 99 is a rarely used provision of the UN charter which allows the secretary-general to bring to the attention of the Security Council “any matter which…may threaten the maintenance of international peace and security,” per AP. The last time Article 99 was invoked was nearly half a century ago, and was triggered by clashes between India and Pakistan that eventually led to the creation of Bangladesh. 3. However, the United States again vetoed the UN Security Council resolution demanding a ceasefire in Gaza. The United States was the sole member of the council to vote against the resolution, with even close allies like France and Japan voting in favor. The United Kingdom abstained from the vote. According to AP, “Riyad Mansour, the Palestinian U.N. ambassador, told the council that Israel's objective is ‘the ethnic cleansing of the Gaza Strip' and ‘the dispossession and forcible displacement of the Palestinian people.'” 4. The Mayor of Burbank, California, Konstantine Anthony has endorsed Representative Barbara Lee for Senate. Anthony had previously endorsed Congressman Adam Schiff – whose Congressional district includes the city of Burbank – but withdrew his endorsement and switched over to Lee because of her principled position in favor of a ceasefire in Gaza. In a statement, Mayor Anthony said “We are in a moment of great reflection in this county…Congresswoman Barbara Lee is the progressive choice for our time.” Barbara Lee has been an extremely progressive and consistent voice on foreign policy issues, famously being the only member of Congress that did not vote for the 2001 Authorization for the Use of Military Force, which she called a “blank check for endless war,” per KTLA. 5. Semafor's Joseph Zeballos-Roig reports Senate Banking Committee Chair Sherrod Brown is claiming that Democrats and Republicans are “making progress to expand the child tax credit” in a deal which would “revive R[esearch] &D[evelopment] [tax] deductions + accelerated depreciation for businesses.” This bipartisan gang hopes to push this through by mid-January, so Americans would see the benefit by the next tax season. Brown himself is facing a steep reelection challenge in his state of Ohio next year. 6. Two major unions in Hawaii – UNITE HERE and the International Longshoremen and Warehouse Union – are calling on the state of Hawaii to take unprecedented action to ensure locals are able to stay on Maui. In short, they are demanding, via the Honolulu Star Advertiser, that local governments take over vacation homes and convert them into permanent housing for Hawaii residents. The housing shortage in Maui has become particularly acute following the disastrous fires on the island earlier this year. 7. In Guatemala, Bloomberg reports the Public Prosecutor's Office has announced its intention to nullify the 2023 general election results, citing vague “irregularities,” in an escalation of the legal coup the corrupt ruling clique has been attempting to pull off against President-elect Bernardo Arevalo and his Semilla Party. The Electoral Supreme Tribunal has stated that the elections “won't be repeated.” For its part, the United States State Department is opposing attempts to subvert the elections, characterizing these attempts as “anti-democratic actions…constitut[ing] evidence of…clear intent to delegitimize Guatemala's free and fair elections and prevent the peaceful transfer of power.” The U.S. has also announced that it will impose visa restrictions on the individuals involved in “undermining democracy and the rule of law.” 8. Finally, back in 2021 the National Retail Federation released a report claiming that “‘organized retail crime' was responsible for half the $94.5B in store merchandise” stolen. This finding was widely reported and served as a bedrock claim for cities increasing their policing budgets and backlash against reform prosecutors after the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests. Now, the Federation is retracting this claim, admitting “organized retail crime” was only responsible for about 5% of stolen merchandise. The Federation further admits that “in most major cities, shoplifting incidents have fallen 7% since 2019,” per the New York Times. In a just world, this would lead to quite a few mea culpas, but I won't hold my breath.This has been Francesco DeSantis, with In Case You Haven't Heard. Get full access to Ralph Nader Radio Hour at www.ralphnaderradiohour.com/subscribe

The story of Cleophas Williams, the first African American president of Local 10 of the ILWU, the International Longshore and Warehouse Union. Thanks to WBAI's Building Bridges radio show, where a longer version of this originally appeared. On this week's Labor History in Two: The Packers. Questions, comments, or suggestions are welcome, and to find out how you can be a part of Labor History Today, email us at LaborHistoryToday@gmail.com Labor History Today is produced by Union City Radio and the Kalmanovitz Initiative for Labor and the Working Poor. #LaborRadioPod #History #WorkingClass #ClassStruggle @GeorgetownKILWP #LaborHistory @UMDMLA @ILLaborHistory @AFLCIO @StrikeHistory #LaborHistory @wrkclasshistory  @bbridgesradio @ilwulongshore

This summer has truly turned out to be a hot labor summer, with a number of high-profile labor actions stretching across industries and across the country, from the streets of Hollywood to the shop floors at UPS — things are heating up.  With that said, there is a story that hasn't hit headlines in the same way as some of these other actions and confrontations. And that's the story of Anchor Brewery in San Francisco. You might have seen their Anchor Steam beer in the beer aisle before, or heard about their unionization campaign that took place in 2019 after this locally beloved brewery was bought by a giant beer conglomerate, Sapporo. That unionization campaign was successful, but recently, Sapporo abruptly, and controversially, closed Anchor Brewing down. Now, some of the workers at Anchor who don't want to see this centuries-old institution stripped for parts, want to turn the brewery into a worker-owned cooperative. This is really a sort of David and Goliath story, and to tell it, we've brought on Pedro Mancilla, who led the Anchor Brewery tour program, is a member of the ILWU Local 6 Warehouse Union, and is part of the team working on the cooperativization campaign.  Pedro has an almost encyclopedic knowledge of beer and beer history, and he begins by giving us a sort of virtual tour of the San Francisco brewery's history and also a bit of San Francisco labor history. He then talks about the union, the struggles with Sapporo, the effort to convert Anchor into a worker cooperative, and also, how local Bay Area beer producers and enjoyers are coming together in an act of true solidarity to stand behind the workers that have been the backbone of this historic brewery.  Resources: Anchor Brewing Union Stand Together to Save Anchor Brewing Company! Solidarity Ale Release at Enterprise Brewing in San Francisco Project Equity Episode credits: Hosted, produced, and edited by Robert Raymond Presented by Tom Llewellyn Theme Music by Cultivate Beats Follow The Response on Twitter and Instagram for updates, memes, and more. Our entire catalog of documentaries and interviews can be found at theresponsepodcast.org — or wherever you get your podcasts. Want to help spread the word? Please rate and review us on Apple Podcasts and Spotify — it makes a huge difference in reaching new people who may otherwise not hear about this show. The Response is published by Shareable.

Los Angeles City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto is blocking affordable and homeless housing, refusing to help tenants facing eviction, and violating the First Amendment rights of reporters -- and more. Mike is joined by two special guests: civil rights attorney Marissa Roy and Godfrey Santos Plata of Los Angeles Forward. They discuss the foibles and scandals of the city attorney, as well as LA's hot labor summer, the plight of renters, and more. We guarantee it is the only podcast you'll ever hear that includes mentions of the Los Angeles City Charter, Beyonce, and the founder of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union, Harry Bridges.FURTHER READINGEditorial: Are L.A. leaders trying to sabotage homeless housing in Venice?L.A. Times, media coalition oppose L.A. lawsuit to claw back police photos from journalistAfter police photo release, L.A. city attorney tries to weaken public records lawL.A. attorney admits her pick for Skid Row receiver was a fail. But she doesn't want to talk about the $8,500L.A. politicians are joining picket lines. The city attorney wants them to stay awayBarrington Plaza: Los Angeles Must Halt This Mass EvictionVenice Dell Teach-inColumn: This ‘hot labor summer' is unifying Los Angeles in a way few could have imaginedL.A. Hotel Workers Are On Strike To Stem the City's Housing CrisisMAYOR BASS AND COUNCILMEMBER RAMAN ANNOUNCE TENANTS RIGHT RESOURCESLandlord Orders LA Renters To Pay Or Leave Chinatown Apartment BuildingOpinion: I'm a tenant in the mass eviction at Barrington Plaza. This developer decision could devastate L.A.Proposal for emergency assistance program for LA renters advances

The port strike continues and involves more than 7,400 workers from the International Longshore and Warehouse Union in British Columbia. Guest: Dr. Rafael Gomez, Professor of Employment Relations and Director or the Centre for Industrial Relations and Human Resources at the University of Toronto Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Seg 1: In the summer of 1518, a strange epidemic occurred in the French city of Strasbourg where several hundred people developed a compulsion to dance for days on end. Guest: Dr. John Waller, Associate Professor of the History of Medicine at Michigan State University and Author of A Time to Dance, A Time to Die Seg 2: View From Victoria: The Port strike continues, the Surrey policing dispute is not over, and another truck has struck another overpass. Are we stuck in a time loop? We get a local look at the top political stories with the help of Vancouver Sun columnist Vaughn Palmer. Seg 3: The port strike continues and involves more than 7,400 workers from the International Longshore and Warehouse Union in British Columbia. Guest: Dr. Rafael Gomez, Professor of Employment Relations and Director or the Centre for Industrial Relations and Human Resources at the University of Toronto Seg 4: It's set to be a big weekend at the movies, but don't let that confuse you… things in Hollywood are not in a great place right now.  Guest: Rachel Ho, Toronto Film Critic Seg 5: The Province of British Columbia, through BC Housing, and the City of Vancouver have partnered to provide temporary supportive homes for people experiencing homelessness in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside. Guest: Ravi Kahlon, BC's Minister of Housing Seg 6: BC port workers are back on strike after rejecting a tentative agreement. Where do negotiations go from here and will the government get involved? Guest: John Corey, President of Freight Management Association of Canada Seg 7: Making Cents of the Market: Time for Making Cents of the Markets with Lori Pinkowski. Lori Pinkowski is a Senior Portfolio Manager at Canaccord Genuity. You can contact The Pinkowski Wealth Management team directly at 604-695-LORI or visit their website at Pinkowski.ca Seg 9: Keep It Local: Prioritizing Honey Bee sustainability in BC Guest: Judy Campbell, Owner and Operator of Campbell's Gold Honey Farm & Meadery Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A tentative six-year agreement has been reached between the Pacific Maritime Association and the 22,000-member International Longshore and Warehouse Union, ending months of sometimes acrimonious negotiations. The deal also signals an end to months of uncertainty at 29 West Coast ports and warehouse facilities. The Labor Department helped broker the talks, as acting Secretary Julie Su assisted in the negotiations. She said in a statement that the agreement is an indication that the collective bargaining process works, even when it is difficult.

After 13 months of tense negotiations a tentative agreement has been reached between the International Longshore & Warehouse Union and the Pacific Maritime Association for a six-year deal for dockworkers at US West Coast Ports.In this episode of the Seatrade Maritime Podcast we talk to Peter Sand, Chief Analyst at Xeneta, about the importance of the deal and what happens next.Speaking with Marcus Hand, Editor of Seatrade Maritime News, the conversation covers: The run up to the tentative agreement and why it is so important that it has been reached.The risk that the tentative deal may not be ratified and being prepared for that.The impact of the protracted negotiations on US West Coast gateway ports.Can West Coast ports win business back that has shifted to the US East Coast?Other supply chain issues on the radar in the coming months shippers should plan for.Listen to the episode now to find out moreIf you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to ensure you don't miss our latest uploads. Feel free also to recommend the show to a friend or colleague that you think would enjoy it. For the latest news on the shipping and maritime industries make sure you visit www.searade-maritime.com or subscribe to our newsletter.Connect with Marcus Hand, Editor of Seatrade Maritime News:Follow him on Twitter: https://twitter.com/marcushand1 Connect with him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcus-hand-b00a317/Don't forget to join the conversation and let us know what topics you want us to cover in future on Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn

Tensions between the Pacific Maritime Association and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union are heating up as periodic, unannounced work stoppages occur at several ports and other locations, causing cargo disruptions across the nation. The actions have taken place the past several days at the Port of Oakland, the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach and the Port of Seattle. They are occurring as the sides have been negotiating for almost a year attempting to finalize a multiyear contract for the 22,000 unionized workers who load and unload freight at West Coast ports and more than two dozen warehouse locations. The labor discord has many in the transportation, retail and agriculture sectors worried about the continued availability of their shipments.

Dockworkers at West Coast ports are disrupting international trade for a fourth day as their unions hammer out better working conditions. Union leaders have been slowing operations at West Coast ports and forcing the ports to close shipping terminals since Friday. This comes as the Pacific Maritime Association and the International Longshoremen and Warehouse Union, who represents dockworkers, have been negotiating a new contract since May 10th.  For more on this, KCBS Radio's Bret Burkhart and Pat Thurston spoke with Michael Leroy, Professor and Labor Expert at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign..  

Highlights from the May 2023 Global Update from the Global Technical and Regulatory Affairs team at the Almond Board of California. Economic Impact Analysis of Retaliatory Tariffs on Exports of California AlmondsCalifornia almond exporters have been increasingly frustrated about favorable tariff conditions for Australian almonds while U.S almonds continue to suffer under retaliatory tariffs. Australia has a free trade agreement with China, reduced tariff treatment with India, and may soon have a zero tariff going into the E.U. Dr. Steinbach of UC Davis, using demand elasticity analysis, concluded that retaliatory tariffs cost the U.S. almond industry almost $875 million in exports or more than 325 million pounds of shipments between April 2018 and April 2022. He estimated that the withdrawal of retaliatory tariffs imposed by China, India, and Turkey could increase U.S. almond exports by about $175 million or 90 million pounds annually. Recently, ABC analyzed trade data to determine the impacts of retaliatory tariffs in key markets combined with Australian trade advantages. Based on that analysis, it was determined that if US market share had stayed the same before the implementation of retaliatory tariffs in China, India, and Turkey in 2018, and Australia's trade agreements with China and India, the value of US almond exports to those countries from 2018-2022 would have been higher by more than $550 million equating to an additional volume of 155 million pounds. This analysis will be summarized into a white paper that will be shared with policymakers for ABC's annual trip to DC coming up in June. For more info, please contact Keith Schneller.Transportation UpdateThe International Longshore and Warehouse Union negotiations continue with the two sides announcing a tentative agreement on a number of significant issues. However, there are still issues that will need to be resolved before a deal is signed. Additionally, dock workers at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach continue to undertake “job actions”, including those leading to a previous shutdown of the ports for a few shifts. There may also be separate negotiations underway with ILWU Local 13 (LA/LB) with the Local seeking to double the manning on container handling equipment. The uncertainty of the situation continues to cause consternation among importers as more and more shift operations to the East Coast. However, there is optimism that the sides are inching closer to a deal, and many of the imports are expected to return to West Coast ports. The California Air Resources Board unanimously approved a new rule to phase out sales of diesel-powered medium- and heavy-duty vehicles by 2036. This is the first such combustion-truck sales ban in the world. Drayage vehicles with internal combustion engines (ICE) that are on the road now can continue to operate through their “useful life.” Those limits mean that when a drayage truck hits 800,000 miles, it can no longer be listed in the registry of drayage vehicles. The alternative is if it reaches 18 years after its model year, even if it has not reached 800,000 miles. The Advanced Clean Trucks rule aims to reduce California's GHG emissions by 40 percent and reduce petroleum use by 50 percent by 2030. Please contact Brock Densel.China Facility Registration Update On April 14, FDA resumed managing the General Administration of Customs China's (GACC) CIFER portal for U.S. facility registrations and has helped clear the CIFER queue of several handlers' change requests. These were waiting for FDA review before moving them on to GACC for final review and approval. An estimated 15 of the 70 handlers initially approved by

Robert Cherny lives in San Francisco. His book Harry Bridges: Labor Radical, Labor Legend is about the longtime and often controversial president of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union. It came out in January, 2023.

Highlights from the April 2023 Global Update from the Global Technical and Regulatory Affairs team at the Almond Board of California. Decree 248 Update Food and Drug Agency has stopped managing China's CIFER portal. China's General Administration of Customs, also known as the GACC, uses the portal for U.S. facility registrations. This recent action creates great uncertainty for those companies waiting to finalize their GACC registrations or for “new” companies waiting to register their facilities so they can also export products to China. USDA, FDA and USTR are currently discussing next steps regarding Decree 248. Until the U.S. government decides which agency will take over the CIFER portal, be sure to confirm that the products being shipped to China are included under your facility's GACC account. If not, GACC is refusing to add “new” products without approval from the US competent authority in the CIFER system. ABC is in touch with both FDA and USDA regarding this issue. 35 of 70 almond facilities have finalized their registrations. If you have not finalized your registration, please upload the mandatory documents and submit them on GACC's cifer.singlewindow.cn portal for future review after the USG decides how to proceed in sending these “change requests” to China. For more info, please contact kschneller@almondboard.com.Transportation and Logistics Update On March 24, over 100 agriculture and business groups including the Almond Alliance of California sent a letter to President Biden calling for intervention to resolve the protracted West Coast port labor negotiations between dockworkers and port facilities owners. In the letter the groups wrote, “It is imperative that the administration work with the parties to quickly reach a new agreement and ensure there is no disruption to port operations and cargo fluidity. Significant cargo flows have shifted away from the West Coast ports because of the uncertainty related to the labor negotiations.” The letter which was coordinated by the National Pork Producers Council, further requested the Biden Administration appoint a new administration point person given the departure of Marty Wash from the post of Secretary of Labor. The letter comes on the heels of “job actions” taken by the International Longshore and Warehouse Union which caused congestion of trucks trying to enter the Ports of LA/LB. Please contact Brock Densel for more info.The Turkish Nut Association Coming to California ABC will be working with the California Walnut Commission to host a delegation of the Turkish Nut Association in June. Turkey is one of the countries we are looking at as part of a global trade strategy. The Turkish government lowered tariffs on imported almonds on Jan 1, 2018, from 43% down to 15%; Turkey then implemented retaliatory tariffs of 20% on US almonds after the US announced Section 232 tariffs on imported steel and aluminum. In 2019, Turkey lowered the retaliatory tariff by 10%, and that remains today. The current applied tariff for US almonds in Turkey is 25%. ABC will be providing more information on the delegation visit as it is confirmed. For more information, please contact Keith Schneller.

A coalition of trade associations — including American Trucking Associations — wrote to President Joe Biden on March 24th, urging the administration to take a more active role in the West Coast port labor negotiations. The contract talks involve the 22,000-member International Longshore and Warehouse Union and the Pacific Maritime Association, which represents management at 29 ports and distribution centers. The trade groups noted concerns related to freight shifting out of West Coast ports due to the uncertainty of the negotiations.

A labor agreement between the International Longshore and Warehouse Union and the Pacific Maritime Association may not be reached until the first quarter of next year. That is the opinion of Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka, whose facility experienced a 25% drop in cargo volume in October and is down 6% for the year. Neighboring Port of Long Beach's volume fell 17% in October. Some shippers instead have rerouted to the Gulf Coast and East Coast, where facilities have seen a spike in business.

A labor agreement between the International Longshore and Warehouse Union and the Pacific Maritime Association may not be reached until the first quarter of next year. That is the opinion of Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka, whose facility experienced a 25% drop in cargo volume in October and is down 6% for the year. Neighboring Port of Long Beach's volume fell 17% in October. Some shippers instead have rerouted to the Gulf Coast and East Coast, where facilities have seen a spike in business.

Manufacturers continue to face supply chain challenges that are impacting delivery time, inventory management and costs. In this episode, MC Machinery Senior Purchasing Manager Brian Howard, Senior Buyer Sheila Uribe and CPG Group National Sales Manager George Johnson discuss the current supply chain challenges facing manufacturers, how they are adjusting to these challenges and expectations for the future. They discuss:Just-in-time manufacturing has become "just in case"How overseas port closures, California trucker protests and a contract labor dispute  between the International Longshore and Warehouse Union and the Pacific Maritime Association are impacting shipmentsShipping costs remain high, including surcharges and port feesSupply chain issues are dynamic and require finding creative solutions on the flyProduced by MC Machinery Systems, the Minds on Manufacturing podcast covers timely topics in fabricating, machining and manufacturing in general. For more information, visit https://www.mcmachinery.com/minds-on-manufacturing-podcast.

Agweek reporter Noah Fish speaks with Andrew Bower, sales director in the liquid logistics division at OEC Group. Bower sheds light on the high-stakes talks between the Pacific Maritime Association employer group and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union, to agree on a new labor contract for over 22,000 workers at West Coast ports. Upper Midwest crops ship out through the West Coast and a strike could be a further detriment to already backed up supply chains.

This week the International Longshore and Warehouse Union and the Pacific Maritime Association started negotiations on a new contract that would affect dockworkers up and down the West Coast. As the supply chain already faces major disruptions, some - including farmers in the Pacific Northwest - are concerned about a labor impasse that could create further challenges. We hear more from Peter Goodman, a global economic correspondent for The New York Times and author of "Davos Man: How the Billionaires Devoured the World."

A survey released on Tuesday reveals wage theft is still a big problem for more than half a million fast food workers in California. More than 8 in 10 workers surveyed said employers have shorted them on their paychecks.  Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED  Contract negotiations affecting workers at 29 West Coast ports begin on Tuesday. The talks between the International Longshore and Warehouse Union and the Pacific Maritime Association are happening amid pandemic safety issues and growing imports that created long queues of ships waiting to offload cargo. Reporter: Angela Corral, The California Report San Francisco's NAACP chapter is calling on the city to take action in support of Asian American and Pacific Islander communities who've faced an increase in hate crimes Reporter: Maria Fernanda Bernal, KQED 

Dock workers who have worked their hardest during a pandemic to alleviate the supply chain the best they can are finding themselves in an incoming labor dispute. Alex Garrett's five minutes is fixed on getting the International Longshore and Warehouse Union their due! Full article in the NY Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/28/business/dockworkers-strike-supply-chain.html

Dock workers who have worked their hardest during a pandemic to alleviate the supply chain the best they can are finding themselves in an incoming labor dispute. Alex Garrett's five minutes is fixed on getting the International Longshore and Warehouse Union their due! Full article in the NY Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/28/business/dockworkers-strike-supply-chain.html

On April 1st, JFK8 Amazon warehouse workers in Staten Island voted to unionize against all odds, becoming the first Amazon warehouse in the nation to vote to join a union. We speak with WNYC reporter Gwynne Hogan and Rebecca Givan, Associate Professor, Labor Studies and Employment Relations (LSER), Co-Director, Center for Work and Health (CWH) at Rutgers University.

On April 1st, JFK8 Amazon warehouse workers in Staten Island voted to unionize against all odds, becoming the first Amazon warehouse in the nation to vote to join a union. We speak with WNYC reporter Gwynne Hogan and Rebecca Givan, Associate Professor, Labor Studies and Employment Relations (LSER), Co-Director, Center for Work and Health (CWH) at Rutgers University.

Many people may assume that romance novels are exclusively for women. But one study found 18% of romance readers are men. "The Bromance Book Club" author Lyssa Kay Adams joins us along with Jason Rogers, who started his own real-life bromance book club. And, for the first time, workers at an Amazon warehouse have voted to unionize. The historic election was on Staten Island in New York. Stephan Bisaha, wealth and poverty reporter for Gulf States Newsroom, joins us.

When it comes to moving fashion goods around the world, the logistical challenges are not easing up. Zero-tolerance Covid measures have parts of China under a prolonged lockdown. Labor shortages and conflicts are grinding the gears on the West Cost of the U.S., as negotiations with the port workers get off to a slow start. on top of it, capacity, congestion, and pricing continue their uncertain dance. Any one of these issues would be challenging on its own, but collectively, it's a perfect storm of chaos. Vincent Iacopella, executive vice president growth and strategy at freight forwarder Alba Wheels Up, sat down with Sourcing Journal founder and president Edward Hertzman to discuss the issues and uncertainties, and help chart a path forward.  Watch the fireside chat to learn:  ·      If there is any reprieve on the horizon regarding dealing with China. ·      How geopolitical conflicts like the war in Ukraine is impacting the global flow of goods. ·      What's happening domestically regarding negotiations between the International Longshore & Warehouse Union (ILWU) and Pacific Maritime Association (PMA) ·      What inflation and a cooling off of consumer demand means for the push-pull of congestion and capacity, and where to go from there. ·      How technology can help companies alleviate some of today's most pressing logistics issues. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Malcolm White lives his passion through his work. He has always known that he loved working on the water. He was fascinated by the tugboats and the barges they were towing – the ones he would watch while working as a fishing guide in Campbell River, British Columbia. So, he attained his Deck Hand certification and the requisite sea hours. And over a career of, now forty years, he continued to take courses, build continued experience on the ocean, and for many years now, has been master of his tug, as the Captain. Malcolm shares his journey with us, including some very frightening and exhilarating experiences, a little about the tugboats used in this exciting work, and some tips if this is a career that might be of interest to you or someone you know. Ever wonder what it is like to assist those big freighters into dock? Hope you will join us! About the Guest – Malcolm White Malcolm is the captain of the one of the big tugs we see working in the Vancouver harbour. They are called yarding tugs. They guide the huge freighters and cargo ships to dock or moor at our local mooring lots, terminals, and refineries in the lower mainland. His responsibilities also involve receiving, towing, and landing huge barges. It is interesting and difficult work. Over the years, Malcolm has transitioned from working as a fishing guide in Campbell River, on Vancouver Island, to attaining both the sea hours and relevant certifications to first become a deck hand, and eventually to attaining the title and responsibilities of tugboat captain. It has been a truly wonderful career for him, full of exciting experiences and memories. One he will miss when he decides to retire. In the meantime, he is enjoying working with his new baby – yes, a tugboat – and it's quiet! ResourcesIf you are interested in learning more about the relevant training programs, the BCIT Maritime Training Institute website has a wealth of information that may be of assistance: https://www.bcit.ca/transportation/areas-of-study/marine-studiesThe International Longshore & Warehouse Union may also be of assistance: https://ilwu.caAbout the Host: Susan has worked with people all her life. As a human resource professional, she has specialized in all aspects of employment, from hiring to retirement. She got her start as a national representative for a large Canadian union. After pursuing an undergrad degree in business administration, Susan transitioned to HR management, where she aspired to bring both employee and management perspectives to her work. She retired from her multi-decade career in HR to pursue writing and consulting, and to be able, in her words, to “colour outside the lines.” She promises some fun and lots of learning through this podcast series. Susan is also the author of the book Leadership Inside Out: Effecting Change from Within available on Amazon. She holds a Master of Arts degree in Leadership and Training. If you wish to contact Susan, she can be reached through any of the following: Website: www.effectingchangefromwithin.comEmail: susangney@gmail.comLinked In: www.linkedin.com/in/susan-ney-197494Facebook: www.facebook.com/susan.ney.5/Thanks for listening!It means so much that you listened to this podcast! If you know of anyone else who might find this series of interest, please share. If you have questions about this episode, please send me an email at susangney@gmail.comSubscribe to the podcastIf you wish to receive automatic notifications as new podcast episodes are made available, please subscribe.Leave a reviewRatings and reviews from listeners are used to improve the podcasts. They also help others find this series, so reviews are...

Amazon and the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union are facing off at a National Labor Relations Board hearing today on the union's attempt to overturn its loss in an election to unionize the company's Alabama warehouse. For more on this, Bloomberg News Reporter Josh Eidelson joined KCBS Radio news anchor, Liz Saint John. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Though largely unacknowledged in America in favor of Labor Day in September, May 1st is internationally recognized as International Worker's Day, the anniversary of the struggle for an 8-hour workday in Chicago in 1886. Looking back on that brings up a lot of interesting issues such as labor's historically tense relationship with police and the Black unions that arose because of mainstream labor's racism. This episode, however, is about two interracial unions that sought radical equality in their union and society. The first was the radical, interracial, Socialist, Local 8 branch of the Industrial Workers of the World in Philadelphia. This union ended workplace segregation, had multiracial leaders, and survived nearly a decade of attacks from bosses and the government. The second is the Local 10 branch of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union. Also interracial, this union continues to take an open stance on worldwide social justice issues. This social movement unionism ranges from protesting apartheid in South Africa to shutting down ports across the West coast last Juneteenth for George Floyd. Both unions set aside race and ethnic divisions to become powerful forces beyond the workplace. Maybe their active antiracism can teach us something. Further Reading [As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.]: Wobblies on the Waterfront: Interracial Unionism in Progressive-Era Philadelphia by Peter Cole [https://amzn.to/3nyPpMK (https://amzn.to/3nyPpMK)] Ben Fletcher: The Life and Times of a Black Wobbly by Peter Cole [https://amzn.to/3xAQN6s (https://amzn.to/3xAQN6s)] Dockworker Power: Race and Activism in Durban and the San Francisco Bay Area by Peter Cole [https://amzn.to/3vwe1IQ (https://amzn.to/3vwe1IQ)] Music Credit PeaceLoveSoul by Jeris (c) copyright 2012 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/VJ_Memes/35859 Ft: KungFu (KungFuFrijters)

President Joe Biden announced he’s supporting a union drive at an Amazon warehouse in Bessemer, Alabama -- which could be the first Amazon warehouse to unionize in the U.S.. Why is his pro-union message so surprising? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

During a global pandemic, it may be surprising that more people are not talking about death and their final wishes. Dr. Lydia Dugdale explores the concept that part of living well is "dying well" in her book "The Lost Art of Dying: Reviving Forgotten Wisdom." And, Amazon employees in Alabama began voting this week on whether they want to form the first union of Amazon warehouse workers in the U.S. We speak with an employee at the facility who has been helping organize the union drive.

Sean and Andy are joined with Brace from @trueanonpod to talk workers power, past and present: how unions are still central, how communist organizers like Harry Bridges, leader of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union, exercised this power in the past, and how we can fight to bring it back today. We end with a call to Build The (not necessary electoral) Party. Become a patron for access to a bonus episode on life as young punx later on in the week! Outro music: Harry Bridges - Rancid

This week, we dedicate most of the hour to a discussion with Clarence Thomas, a retired worker with the International Longshore and Warehouse Union. Thomas talks about the Juneteenth work stoppage that shut down all 29 ports on the West Coast in solidarity with, and as a part of, the growing movement for Black lives.For the last segment, we hear the sound and fury from a protest in Philadelphia on June 6. Puryear spoke before a crowd of 100,000 people about the nature of the now-global uprisings against police brutality.

This week, we dedicate most of the hour to a discussion with Clarence Thomas, a retired worker with the International Longshore and Warehouse Union. Thomas talks about the Juneteenth work stoppage that shut down all 29 ports on the West Coast in solidarity with, and as a part of, the growing movement for Black lives.For the last segment, we hear the sound and fury from a protest in Philadelphia on June 6. Puryear spoke before a crowd of 100,000 people about the nature of the now-global uprisings against police brutality.

Dan Kovalik, a human rights and labor lawyer and author of “No More War: How the West Violates International Law by Using ‘Humanitarian' Intervention to Advance Economic and Strategic Interests,” joins Chris Smalls, an Amazon worker who was fired after organizing a walkout of his Staten Island warehouse and who’s become a voice for labor, to describe last Friday’s massive International Longshore and Warehouse Union strike. They discuss the efforts to organize the historic strike, the difficulty in getting media to recognize the connections between economic, racial and social justice, and new efforts to galvanize workers in the US and internationally.

Abdus Luqman of Luqman Nation tells Misfit hosts Bob Schlehuber and Michelle Witte what he saw yesterday afternoon in front of the White House as people tried to pull down a statue of Andrew Jackson. More tear gas, more violence, but also more resilience by protesters were on display, and the face off in the nation’s capital continues. Dan Kovalik, a human rights and labor lawyer and author of “No More War: How the West Violates International Law by Using ‘Humanitarian' Intervention to Advance Economic and Strategic Interests,” joins Chris Smalls, an Amazon worker who was fired after organizing a walkout of his Staten Island warehouse and who’s become a voice for labor, to describe last Friday’s massive International Longshore and Warehouse Union strike. They discuss the efforts to organize the historic strike, the difficulty in getting media to recognize the connections between economic, racial and social justice, and new efforts to galvanize workers in the US and internationally.Ben Norton, journalist, filmmaker and assistant editor of the independent investigative journalism website The Grayzone, spoke about the wealthy and powerful forces assembling to try to challenge popular progressive Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador and how US media is prepared to play straight into their hands. He also gets into Washington’s ironic censorship of almost anything Chinese these days, and the ideologues behind Wikipedia’s political decisions. The Misfits also broke down today’s primary races, a CRISPR gene-editing breakthrough, the reopening of theaters and whatever the hell is going on with “Labor of Love.”

The International Longshore and Warehouse Union shut down 29 west coast ports on June 19 in remembrance of George Floyd and to mark Juneteenth. All along 2,000 miles of coastline, in 29 ports from Seattle to San Diego, not one container was loaded or unloaded. The ILWU has a long history of anti-racist and international solidarity. It shut down these ports in 1968 after the death of Martin Luther King, Jr. Union members refused to unload a ship from apartheid South Africa. The union shut the ports to oppose the U.S. invasion of Iraq, and earlier this month, held an 8-minute work stoppage to demand for justice for George Floyd. This tradition of solidarity came from a historic union struggle in 1934, when dock workers struck for 83 days, culminating in a 4-day general strike in San Francisco. Building anti-racist solidarity was key to their win, and to ending some of the worst working conditions in the country. Read the full article: https://www.liberationnews.org/anti-racist-solidarity-brought-victory-for-all-dock-workers-in-1934-san-francisco-general-strike/

Governor Requires Face Masks in Public Statewide In a directive issued yesterday by Governor Gavin Newsom, most Californians everywhere in the state must wear masks when in public places. It’s a response to a worrying spikes in coronavirus cases in many parts of California. Reporter: Laura Klivans, KQED Labor Unions Shut Down West Coast Ports for Juneteenth Cargo ports up and down the West Coast are going to be pretty quiet today. That’s because workers of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union have voted to spend the day protesting police violence and racism instead of loading and unloading ships. Reporter: Nina Sparling, KQED Young Black Actvists Claim Juneteenth as 'Our Independence Day' In West Oakland some teenagers are claiming Juneteenth for themselves.  A group calling themselves Black Youth for the People’s Liberation will hold a rally today in Oakland.  Reporter: Vanessa Rancaño, KQED DACA Recipients Mobilize for Path to Citizenship Across California recipients of DACA are celebrating yesterday’s Supreme Court ruling that preserves protects undocumented immigrants who were brought to the U.S. as children from deportation. But despite the high court’s decision, that protection is temporary. The so-called Dreamers are  mobilizing for a permanent path to American citizenship. Reporter: Tyche Hendricks, KQED  Congressman Says Tech Companies Not Fully Prepared To Prevent Election Meddling There are worries that as Election Day looms, social media is again becoming a place where misinformation and half-baked conspiracy theories spread, like what happened when Russia interfered in the 2016 election. Yesterday, the House Intelligence Committee held a hearing on what big tech companies are doing to fight off disinformation campaigns. Guest: Congressman Adam Schiff

You can’t separate labor from the police violence and oppression that’s being called out this Juneteenth - the day that commemorates the end of slavery in the U.S. That’s why local Bay Area dockworker unions in San Francisco and Oakland are joining other local unions in shutting down the West Coast ports on Friday. This kind of action isn't new. The International Longshore and Warehouse Union has fought against racism and police violence here in the Bay Area for decades. Guests: Clarence Thomas, retired leader of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 10 and co-founder of the Million Worker March Movement and Peter Cole, professor of history at Western Illinois University and author of Dockworker Power: Race and Activism in Durban and the San Francisco Bay Area

Welcome to Majority.FM's AM QUICKIE! Brought to you by justcoffee.coop TODAY'S HEADLINES: Donald Trump threatens another American city with military invasion, and places sanctions on members of the International Criminal Court. You never go full dictator, man! Meanwhile, unemployment continues to climb amid the coronavirus pandemic. Who will be left with any money to shop in all those businesses that are reopening? And lastly, organized labor takes a stand against police violence and white supremacy. West Coast dockworkers are calling for a Juneteenth general strike next Friday, and plan to shut down the ports. THESE ARE THE STORIES YOU NEED TO KNOW: Biden Fears Trump Coup Joe Biden said yesterday he fears Donald Trump might try to steal the election in November. However, the presumptive Democratic nominee for president also said he was confident the military would escort Trump from the White House, if he refused to recognize a loss at the polls. Separately, the Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Mark Milley apologized for making himself seen on the ground last week in Washington, DC, as Attorney General Bill Barr ordered an assault on protesters. As a comissioned, uniformed officer, Milley said, it was a mistake I have learned from. And I sincerely hope we all can learn from it. Oh, we’re learning, alright. We’re all learning a lot about America. As if we didn’t already look like a failed state, Trump found a way to make it worse. Anonymous White House officials yesterday told reporters that the US government is placing sanctions on the International Criminal Court. The Court, based in The Hague, investigates war crimes and human rights abuses by armed groups all over the world. One-hundred and twenty-three countries recognize the ICC’s jurisdiction – but the US is not among them. Trump is angry the court is looking in to US war crimes in Afghanistan. So, he is placing economic sanctions and travel restrictions on ICC workers who are investigating America’s role in torture, rapes, and other horrific abuses during the early stages of occupation. Way to convince the world you’re not an insane bloodthirsty dictator, Donny. This is just nuts. Separately, the Center for Civilians in Conflict, a US-based aid group advocating for the lives and rights of civilians in war zones, made a statement on Trump’s domestic deployment of military forces against peaceful protesters. The statement said QUOTE the public is not an armed opposition group ENDQUOTE. To be fair, Trump does need clarification on this point. Yesterday he taunted politicians in Washington State and said if they didn’t take back Seattle from the anarchists who set up a police-free festival zone in an upscale, left-leaning neighborhood, then he would. Things were peaceful there through the day. As dusk fell, reporter Robert Evans described the scene at the so-called Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone as a very large block party with a lot of free food and art projects and, perhaps, the potential to be the nexus of real resistance to the police. Amen. Trump’s threats get harder to take seriously the more his weaknesses are exposed by uprsisings around the country. Police also seem to be losing authority, through their own egregious conduct. In Chicago, Democratic Congressman Bobby Rush gave a news conference with an old rival, Mayor Lori Lightfoot, and claimed city police had burglarized his office during protests last week. Surveillance footage from Rush’s office showed officers helping themselves to snacks and lounging around with their feet up on his furniture as protests raged outside. At least thirteen Chicago cops were involved, including three supervisors. Rush co-founded the Illinois Black Panthers before joining Congress in 1993. Coronavirus Surging, Economy Floundering Anyone planning on attending Trump’s hate rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma next week needs to be aware of the risks. These could include permanent organ damage or even death -- so we really don’t recommend it. But should you register for tickets in Tulsa, you’ll first have to sign a liability waiver. That is, if you want to see Trump speak, you have to agree not to sue him if you catch COVID-19. And here we thought coronavirus was no big deal in MAGA-land! News of a surge in coronavirus cases across the country prompted the largest single-day stock market drop in three months. The Labor Department said another million-and-a-half Americans filed unemployment claims last week. On top of that, seven-hundred thousand people filed for benefits under the federal Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program, designed for freelancers and others who aren’t eligible for traditional jobless benefits. In Houston, Texas, local officials warned the city was on the QUOTE precipice of disaster ENDQUOTE, and facing a spike of coronavirus cases. County officials may try to reinstate lockdowns despite orders by the Republican Governor, Greg Abbott, mandating that businesses reopen. Georgia and Iowa are set to remove all capacity restrictions on restaurants and bars. Public health officials warn this will lead to preventable illness and death. When did stopping the spread go out of fashion? Is this some national death wish? Dockworkers Back Juneteenth Strike Pressure is building on organized labor to cut ties with so-called police unions. The Writers Guild of America, East, a union representing TV writers and digital journalists, this week called for the expulsion of police associations from their shared umbrella organization, the AFL-CIO. In a statement reported by The Guardian, the guild said: As long as police unions continue to wield their collective bargaining power as a cudgel, preventing reforms and accountability, no one is safe. Therefore we believe that police unions do not belong in our labor coalition. The AFL-CIO has fifty-six union affiliates representing nearly thirteen million members. The Writers Guild is the first affiliate union to formally call for the expulsion of the International Union of Police Associations, which represents the cops who’ve been beating up workers from coast to coast. On the West Coast, the International Longshore and Warehouse Union this week staged an action demanding an end to racist police murders. The ILWU represents more than thirty- three thousand dockworkers and others in the US and Canada. On Tuesday ILWU members stopped working for eight minutes and forty-six seconds to honor the life of George Floyd and all victims of police brutality. ILWU organizer Clarence Thomas told Jacobin magazine that labor must fight white supremacy within its ranks as well as outside the movement. So next Friday, June 19 , the union will shut down all twenty-nine shipping ports on the West Coast for eight hours. And they’re calling on other unions across the country to join them. It’s time, Thomas said. Labor must begin to take a lead in the fight against racist police terror. AND NOW FOR SOME QUICKER QUICKIES: The federal agency that processes visa applications for visitors and immigrants to the US announced plans to take three-quarters of its workforce off the job. Next week US Citizenship and Immigration Services will begin sending furlough notices to fifteen thousand of its nineteen thousand workers. The agency, a division of Homeland Security, is funded by fees, and claims it needs an emergency appropriation from Congress to avoid the dramatic staffing cuts. A California man accused of attacking Santa Cruz County deputies wrote messages in blood referencing a far-right extremist movement before he was arrested, NBC News reported. Steven Carrillo, former US Air Force sergeant, allegedly threw pipe bombs and fired shots at officers, killing one and seriously injuring another, on June 6. Last night, local press reprorts citing police linked him to a May 29 attack on police in Oakland. The teleconferencing company, Zoom, was reportedly shutting down the accounts of Hong Kong activists known to be critical of the Chinese government. Several activists told the Guardian their accounts were blocked before they could host planned online memorials of the Tiananmen Square massacre. Zoom called the censorship regrettable but unavoidable. Easy for them to say! Ithaca, New York, this week became the first city in the US to cancel rent during the coronavirus pandemic. A new city council resolution gives the mayor power to cancel rent debts for residential and small business tenants for the last three months. It also, according to Fast Company magazine, freezes rent increases, and requires landlords to offer lease extensions. Unfortunately, thanks to an order from Governor Andrew Cuomo, the resolution can’t take effect without approval from the state. Ithaca Autonomous Zone, anyone? That’s all for the AM Quickie. Join us this afternoon on the Majority Report. June 12, 2020 - AM Quickie HOSTS - Sam Seder & Lucie Steiner WRITER - Corey Pein PRODUCER - Dorsey Shaw EXECUTIVE PRODUCER - Brendan Finn

Craft Brew News – 3/22/19(Articles brought to you by Brewbound.com)Anchor Workers Vote to UnionizeSeeking better pay and benefits, workers at San Francisco’s Anchor Brewing Company voted in favor of forming a union on Wednesday, according to Bloomberg.The vote to organize with the International Longshore and Warehouse Union passed 31-16, the San Francisco Chronicle reported. Anchor, which was acquired by Japan’s Sapporo Holdings Limited in 2017, now has 10 days to dispute the vote.The effort to unionize has been met with multiple “union-busting” tactics from Anchor management, despite a February 14 pledge to remain neutral. According to Huffpost, management “pressured the 61 brewery workers and nine staffers at Public Taps,” its neighboring taproom, to form separate bargaining units. Public Taps employees are slated to vote on whether to form a union later today, according to the AnchorUnionSF Twitter account.Additionally, Anchor management reportedly intimidated employees during private meetings and threatened years-long wage freezes. In turn, employees filed an unfair labor practice complaint with the National Labor Relations Board earlier this month alleging management deployed union-busting tactics, including ordering employees to remove pro-union pins while on the job, Bloomberg reported.No, Thorn Brewing Was Not Sold to a Cannabis CompanyNext Green Wave Holdings, a vertically integrated California cannabis company, issued a press release Tuesday erroneously indicating that San Diego’s Thorn Brewing had been sold.Speaking to Brewbound, Thorn Brewing co-founder Dennis O’Connor confirmed the brewery was not a part of Next Green Wave’s $27 million transaction, which included the acquisition of more than 45 CBD and THC products.Next Wave Holdings actually purchased SD Cannabis, a company O’Connor said he has been working with independently on the development of water soluble THC and CBD products.The relationship with SD Cannabis developed after Thorn Brewing released a 4.20 percent ABV session IPA called OG HighPA, which was brewed with cannabis-derived terpenes. That product, which contained no THC or CBD, was released in 2016 and was made in collaboration with Jetty Extracts.But O’Connor was still interested in creating a cannabis supplement that could be added to various beverages, so he teamed up with SD Cannabis to research and develop a new product. “You’d buy it at a local dispensary, and mix it with your beer or your whiskey,” he said, noting that the company plans to launch the products next month, on April 20 (4/20).He also envisions mixologists experimenting with the THC and CBD mists.Beer Industry Stakeholders in Maryland Compromise on ReformMaryland’s craft brewers, wholesalers and retailers have reached an agreement on sweeping legislation that, if approved, would reform the state’s laws surrounding self-distribution, taproom sales and franchise agreements.One set of proposed bills would allow beer companies producing 20,000 barrels or less to terminate their wholesaler contracts by giving 45 days notice without showing “good cause.” The other bills would raise caps on self-distribution, taproom sales and production limits.Currently, those companies are required to give 180 days notice and show “good cause” in order to get out of their distribution agreements.A separate piece of legislation called the “Modernization Act” — would increase the self-distribution cap from 3,000 barrels to 5,000 barrels annually for breweries holding a Class 7 “Limited Beer Wholesaler License.”Wholesaler Group Opposes Texas To-Go Sales BillsIn an Austin American-Statesman op-ed titled “State beer sales laws aren’t broken. Leave them alone,” Larry Del Papa, a wealthy beer distributor, argued that allowing Texas’ manufacturing breweries to sell beer for off-premise consumption would harm independently owned grocery, convenience and liquor stores.Del Papa serves as the president of the Wholesale Beer Distributors of Texas (WBDT), a powerful wholesaler lobbying group that has refused to sign onto a “stakeholder agreement” reached between the Texas Craft Brewers Guild and the Beer Alliance of Texas. If passed by lawmakers, that agreement would put an end to a years-long contentious dispute over to-go-beer sales by allowing manufacturing breweries to sell beer for off-premise consumption within the state’s existing 5,000-barrel cap on direct-to-consumer sales.According to Del Papa, only 10 craft breweries would benefit from the legislation. The rest of the state’s 305 other breweries, Del Papa argued, could operate under brewpub licenses due to falling below the 10,000-barrel cap.However, Austin Beerworks co-owner Adam DeBower told Brewbound that the law change would benefit hundreds of brewers, fostering growth that could expand those companies’ production beyond the 10,000-barrel cap.Subscribe to Craft Beer Storm Podcast iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/craft-beer-storm/id1438117278?mt=2Michael Potorti is the Host of Craft Beer Storm and Founder/Brewer at Beara Brewing Co. in Portsmouth, NHMichael PotortiFounder/BrewerHost of "Craft Beer Storm" Podcastmichael@craftbeerstorm.commichael@bearairishbrew.com*** Come visit our brewery for some delicious local craft brew! ***Beara Brewing Co.2800 Lafayette RoadPortsmouth, NH 03801Tel. (857) 342-3272 www.bearairishbrew.com Like us onInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/bearairishbrew/?hl=enFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/BearaIrishBrewingCo Twitter: https://twitter.com/BearaIrishBrew Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/beara-brewing-co-30776075/**LISTEN to our Craft Beer Storm Podcast and share with a friend**Craft Beer Storm Podcast iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/craft-beer-storm/id1438117278?mt=2Craft Beer Storm You Tube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCp3PVuCGmywNWlGFh0N0ukg?view_as=subscriberCraft Beer Storm Podcast Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/podcast-center-la-2/craft-beer-stormCraft Beer Storm Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/craftbeerstorm/Craft Beer Storm Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/michaelpotorti/

Dockworkers the world over have a long tradition of both power and militancy, able to block the flow of cargo and jam up the workings of capitalism.  The International Longshore and Warehouse Union in the San Francisco Bay Area has been one of the most radical of American unions.  Historian Peter Cole discusses the fascinating story of the ILWU and how an originally white workforce committed itself to racial equality and integration — and how the later majority black workforce became the radical backbone of the anti-apartheid and international solidarity movements in the Bay Area. Peter Cole will appear at Shaping San Francisco on March 13th at 7:30pm and San Francisco State University's Labor Archives and Research Center on March 14th at 12:30pm. Resources: Peter Cole, Dockworker Power: Race and Activism in Durban and the San Francisco Bay Area University of Illinois Press, 2018   The post Power and Solidarity on the Docks appeared first on KPFA.

Long Live John Africa! On a Move! Greetings to all assembled in honor of Jack Heyman, the longtime ILWU organizer and organizer for a half dozen other causes besides. Jack represents the best of the labor tradition, one not bounded by national borders or the other lines we create to keep us corralled into spaces approved by the state. I think the last time I saw him on the tube he was in London before about a million people protesting maybe the stupidest war in generations -- Iraq. Jack knows, as do we all, that our borders are a lot like prison walls that keep us divided and isolated. So he spent a lot of time and a lot of energy with his sledgehammer knocking holes in the walls. Oh, by the way, I KNOW, I KNOW that Wisconsin has him chomping at the bit. Anyway, congratulations on his retirement and, On a Move. This is Mumia Abu-Jamal. The International Longshore and Warehouse Union has defended Mumia Abu-Jamal for nearly 25 years, since 1985, including an action in 1999 which closed down all the U.S. West Coast ports demanding freedom for Mumia. This was the first port shutdown in defense of a political prisoner in the United States. Although the union did take a position to free Angela Davis in 1972 no port action was taken. And, the relationship has been mutual. Mumia has supported every strike and action of the ILWU including defense of the Charleston longshore union, support for the Inland Boatmen's Union organizing rallies at the Hornblower Ferry terminal on the S.F. Embarcadero, defense of the two young Black longshoremen victimized by police and security goons in the Port of Sacramento under the guise of Homeland Security. This is a message from Mumia in honor of retiring longshore member, Jack Heyman, who has been an ILWU organizer mobilizing support of death row and political prisoners Mumia Abu-Jamal, Leonard Peltier, Kevin Cooper, the S.F. 8 and Troy Anthony Davis; a leader in the struggles against U.S. wars on Iraq and Afghanistan and in support of Palestinian rights (shutting down the Israeli Zim Line ship in 2010 in the Port of Oakland); and international labor solidarity for the Liverpool Dockers and against South African apartheid. Jack Heyman is also a member of the Labor Action Committee to Free Mumia Abu-Jamal which organized a labor conference in 2000 that brought many union members, including a delegation of the Charleston longshoremen, into the struggle in defense of Mumia. Jack was honored on Feb. 25th for his leadership in the union and its struggles for social justice at an event which included many rank and file ILWU members, Angela Davis, Brian McWilliams, Leo Robinson, Howard Keylor, many leaders and rank and file members in the Bay Area labor movement, and activists in the causes of Mumia defense, immigrant rights, civil liberties, and Black liberation and against imperialist wars.

One of my favorite bumper stickers reads “Unions: the Folks Who Brought You the Weekend.” Indeed they did. Organized labor has had a rocky history in the U.S. It’s been hounded for leaning left, associating with mobsters, and being corrupt. But truth be told unions have made an enormous contribution to American prosperity. This is especially true of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union, as Harvey Schwartz explains his new book Solidarity Stories: An Oral History of the ILWU (University of Washington, 2009). While other unions were mired in all of the above-mentioned controversies, the ILWU managed to remain pretty clean. When hounded by the government, it did what all good unions should do–it closed ranks. When its members faced dislocation due to technological advance (for example during the “container revolution”), it adjusted, survived, and continued to serve the interests of its members, their industry, and the nation in general. It’s a real treat to read these working men and women tell their own stories and that of the cause to which they contributed. If you like the work of Studs Turkel, you’ll like this book. I do and I did. Please become a fan of “New Books in History” on Facebook if you haven’t already. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One of my favorite bumper stickers reads “Unions: the Folks Who Brought You the Weekend.” Indeed they did. Organized labor has had a rocky history in the U.S. It’s been hounded for leaning left, associating with mobsters, and being corrupt. But truth be told unions have made an enormous contribution to American prosperity. This is especially true of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union, as Harvey Schwartz explains his new book Solidarity Stories: An Oral History of the ILWU (University of Washington, 2009). While other unions were mired in all of the above-mentioned controversies, the ILWU managed to remain pretty clean. When hounded by the government, it did what all good unions should do–it closed ranks. When its members faced dislocation due to technological advance (for example during the “container revolution”), it adjusted, survived, and continued to serve the interests of its members, their industry, and the nation in general. It’s a real treat to read these working men and women tell their own stories and that of the cause to which they contributed. If you like the work of Studs Turkel, you’ll like this book. I do and I did. Please become a fan of “New Books in History” on Facebook if you haven’t already. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One of my favorite bumper stickers reads “Unions: the Folks Who Brought You the Weekend.” Indeed they did. Organized labor has had a rocky history in the U.S. It’s been hounded for leaning left, associating with mobsters, and being corrupt. But truth be told unions have made an enormous contribution to American prosperity. This is especially true of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union, as Harvey Schwartz explains his new book Solidarity Stories: An Oral History of the ILWU (University of Washington, 2009). While other unions were mired in all of the above-mentioned controversies, the ILWU managed to remain pretty clean. When hounded by the government, it did what all good unions should do–it closed ranks. When its members faced dislocation due to technological advance (for example during the “container revolution”), it adjusted, survived, and continued to serve the interests of its members, their industry, and the nation in general. It’s a real treat to read these working men and women tell their own stories and that of the cause to which they contributed. If you like the work of Studs Turkel, you’ll like this book. I do and I did. Please become a fan of “New Books in History” on Facebook if you haven’t already. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices