ILWU Local 10, some of whose members
work with Occupy Oakland in two port shutdowns last fall, conducted a daytime work
stoppage at the Port of Oakland May 1 as part of annual May Day protests.
Local 10’s rank-and-file members did
not work the eight-hour day shift at the port in observance of International Workers
Day, commonly known as May Day.
May 1 is observed by labor activists
and others as International Workers Day, and the day is typically marked in parts
of the world with marches, protests, walk outs and one-day strikes. Oakland and
Los Angeles are West Coast cities that typically have heavy turnout for May Day
activities.
This marks the third time
in seven months that the Port of Oakland has been affected by protests and labor
unrest. Last November, about 3,000 protestors associated with the Occupy movement
were successful in shutting down swing shift operations at the port for hours. In
December, about 1,500 Occupy protestors disrupted port operations by marching on
terminals.