Port of Oakland Resumes Ops After Day Shift Closure

The Port of Oakland resumed cargo-handling operations during the swing shift on May 1 after an eight-hour shutdown that coincided with May Day labor protests.

International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 10 members did not work the day shift at the port on May 1, as the union and Pacific Maritime Association held business meetings during the day. The meetings were originally scheduled for May 17, but were moved up to May 1 to coincide with International Workers Day, commonly known as May Day.

May Day is typically marked – particularly in the Bay Area and Los Angeles – with labor marches, protests and other activities. The shippers and union said they felt it would be wise to move the meetings up to May 1 because the protests might have affected regular cargo handling operations.

The May 1 dayshift closure marked the third time in the past seven months that protests had directly or indirectly affected Port of Oakland operations. Last November and December, demonstrations by members of the Occupy movement caused the temporary shutdown of terminals during the day or evening shifts.

May Day Protestors Affect Bay Area Waterfront

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.