Georgia Ports employees seeking to unionize

<p>Workers at the Georgia Ports Authority have received a charter to unionize, while management argues that an upcoming vote on the issue is unauthorized.</p><p>Nearly 100 percent of the ports workers have signed cards asking for an election that, if successful, would let the International Longshoremens Association represent them for the purpose of collective bargaining.</p><p>The workers asking for the union vote include crane operators, container field handlers, mechanics and other hourly wage employees.</p><p>But GPA management contends the National Mediation Board, in Washington, D.C., has no jurisdiction at the ports because, as state workers, employees must fall under the Railway Labor Act in order to be eligible for collective bargaining.</p><p>The ports authority sold its railroad operations in 1998 _ six months after the last union attempt failed by only three votes.</p><p>The ILA disagrees, saying that Georgia Ports still owns railroad tracks that it leases to a Jacksonville company.</p><p>Some current and former ports workers say theyre satisfied with salaries at the port near Savannah, but hope to curb what they call an atmosphere of favoritism.</p><p>The money is good _ I dont think anyone has a problem with that, said Hezekiah Aikens, a former ports worker who said he was terminated last year after 33 years on the job. Its the favoritism and the way grievances are handled.</p><p>Georgia Ports Authority executive Director Doug Marchand declined to discuss specific employee concerns, but said that management is addressing employee concerns.</p><p>We consider our employees part of our family, he said. And we think we have a pretty good track record.</p><p>We want to continue the phenomenal success of this port and we want to make sure our employees understand what they have here.</p><p>Marchand distributed a series of letters to employees, questioning the benefits of a union and saying port problems can be handled without outside interference.</p><p>Hundreds of longshoremen working at Georgia Ports already are members of the ILA, but are considered contract workers, not employees of the ports.</p><p>Existing local chapters of the union say they support the right of their fellow dock workers to organize, but hope the issue can be settled with as little disruption as possible.</p><p>The key to this for everyone is to get what you want and not lose what youve got, said Bennie Bryan, president of ILA Deep Sea Local 1414.</p>

http://accesswdun.com/article/2003/11/184709