Harley Shaiken, a UC Berkeley professor specializing in labor issues, described the alliance as “a ‘wow’ moment” that could greatly increase the collective bargaining power of both unions.
ILWU International President Bob McEllrath said the affiliation “will provide a new level of strength and unity for workers in both organizations. Our goal is to hold global companies more accountable to workers and their communities.”
Londor Rankin, who serves as secretary general of the Panama Canal Pilots Union, said his group voted “overwhelmingly” in favor of creating a formal relationship with the San Francisco-based dockworkers union.
“We will learn from the dockworkers and they will learn from us, and we will mutually support each other,” Rankin said. “The companies that move cargo are global. We must have the same kinds of alliances and connections.”