Exclusive: Port of Oakland prepares for planned closure

The International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) has revealed that the Port of Oakland is braced ahead of a planned closure on 1 May, as part of a social justice protest.

The ILWU local union 10 has submitted a request to employers, the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA) to temporarily halt labour at the port in public demonstration against police brutality in the United States.

Mike Zampa, commercial director at the Port of Oakland, explained: “The longshore agreement has a monthly stop work meeting, which means for one shift each month labour doesn’t report to the docks and conducts a union meeting. That meeting is normally on the second or evening shift, however our understanding is that labour has requested that the meeting is conducted in the day shift or first shift. The Port is awaiting confirmation of an agreement of this from the Pacific Maritime Association.”