ILA in Dispute With Marines, Operating Engineers Over Work at Charleston

Members of the International Longshoremen's Association protested Aug. 20 outside the U.S. Marine Barracks in Washington, D.C., about the loss of union work handling military cargo at the Port of Charleston, S.C. Others have continued picketing at the Port of Charleston, the union said. The concern is that the U.S. Marines are allowing Portus Stevedoring Co. to move its military cargo operation from Jacksonville, Fla., to Charleston, bypassing the use of ILA workers in Charleston. The ILA said Portus intends to use members of the International Union of Operating Engineers and perhaps even non-union workers to work the vessel Lewis and Clark at Joint Base Charleston beginning Aug. 27.

ILA said it has been working for the past several months to resolve the issue with the International Union of Operating Engineers.