February 22, 2006

SHORT TAKES

Wildcat at the Port

Without union representation, about 20 truck drivers staged a strike at the Port of Seattle on Jan. 26, sparked by what they felt was the unfair termination of the contract of a fellow driver. The drivers work for the Los Angeles-based Pacer Cartage.

Technically the drivers are not considered to be employees of Pacer Cartage but independent contractors or owner/operators. And since they’re not technically employees, stopping work is not striking, it’s quitting, says Port of Seattle spokesman Mick Shultz.

“ I don’t see how they can strike,” he says.

The drivers view their actions as one step toward greater respect and a more secure working environment. They say that the dispatchers at Pacer Cartage show favoritism to some contractors over others, so the work is uneven and they can’t count on how many hours they will get. They don’t feel that they are all getting an equal opportunity. And the recent termination of a driver’s contract made them feel that none of their jobs are safe.

The official word from Pacer Cartage’s public relations representative, Steve Potash, is that “a number of independent owner/operators staged a one-day protest. We called a meeting with owner-operators, and the issues have been addressed.” They declined to comment further.

Though the issues have been addressed, 25 drivers gave their signatures to the Teamsters union on Thursday.

The Teamsters have been trying to organize the drivers at the Port of Seattle for a long time now, according to Bob Blanchet, the union’s port representative. Blanchet says that one of the obstacles to organizing there is the fact that many of the drivers are immigrants from a variety of different countries.

Tak Yetneberk, a driver at the Port, acknowledged that that had been a problem at times, but the events of the past week have brought them together. Yetneberk says that they have formed an owner/operator committee and selected four people to represent them to the company. He says that they are not afraid to strike again: “If we work together, if we stay strong, we can get better conditions.”

— Justin Ellis

Color Me Comfortable

The Seattle City Council’s appointment of Sally Clark has drawn the ire of community leaders who had hoped to see a woman of color fill former Councilmember Jim Compton’s seat.

Clark, the only white person in the group of six, was selected by a majority of 6-2 — the six whites on the Council voting for her, and David Della and Richard McIver, the sole councilmembers of color, against.

Dustin Washington of the American Friends Service Committee notes how white councilmembers said Clark was someone they would be “comfortable” with.

Community activist K.L. Shannon agrees, adding the choice shows the majority of councilmembers “don’t want to be made to feel uncomfortable.”

Members in favor also noted that as an aide to former councilmember Tina Podlodowski, Clark was “familiar with the process” at City Hall. Not unlike Dolores Sibonga, who had served on the council, or Ven Knox, who ran the city’s Human Services Department — both semi-finalists bested by Clark. Sibonga got three votes — two from McIver and Della. Councilmembers had to nominate each finalist before voting, and none of them nominated Knox. Fellow finalists Sharon Maeda and Stella Chao each fell one vote shy of approval.

“ The issue is not Sally Clark; the issue is you had five very qualified people of color,” says Washington. “Even in a place where the odds seem to be stacked against the white person, they get in.”

— Adam Hyla