Hollywood to the Docks

April 17 over 5000 Los Angeles union activist and supporters rallied at the Los Angeles harbor roaring their approval of an assertive, one for all and all for one, strategy in 2008 to change the national and local direction at a time of economic downturn.

Uniting under the slogan of The Fight For Good Jobs, workers from every walk of life, every racial, ethnic, age, gender, group and area neighborhood came together to join in the completion of a 28 mile, 3 day long, march through the heart of Los Angeles called the march From Hollywood to the Docks.

"This is a once in a life time opportunity" for working people to give national leadership "if we all get out and vote" said Teamster Leader James Hoffa Jr. at the final rally. "We will send George Bush home" and also reject, Mr. McCain... McBush, who we don't want either, he added. HERE national leader John Wilhelm told the rally that with the example of the march "they will never more divide us by color, language, or country we are from, we can win a better tomorrow by recapturing Congress and the White House." Los Angeles May Antonio Villaraigosa said, "this is a march for the union, families and communities or our nation."

The 800,000 member Los Angeles County Federation of Labor AFL-CIO organized the march to kick off its bold plan to unite contract, organizing and electoral struggles by labor and its allies in one campaign for good jobs. This year in Los Angeles county 350,000 union workers in 30 unions are in contract negotiations, another 30.000 and more are fighting for union recognition, and all have a stake in the most important election cycle since the Great Depression.

Major Hollywood unions SAG and AFTRA are now in negotiation for what could be the highest profile labor struggles in the nation. In the ports the ILWU is also in negotiations along with a major organizing drive of port truckers by the Teamsters. The Los Angeles-Long Beach Harbor has over $700 billion in goods flowing through it a year and if strong, united and organized can be a key leverage point for labor, local, national and international on global corporations. The ports represented by ILWU on the West Coast handle 40% of the nation's imports.

Maria Elena Durazo, Executive Secretary Treasurer of L.A. Labor Federation opened the march at the La Brea Pits near downtown Los Angeles, projecting the march as in the tradition of Cesar Chavez and Gandhi where thousand galvanize many time more to mobilize millions. She quoted Chavez who during the historic 1966 farm worker march from Delano to Sacrament spoke of how a march helps us think and communicate better with the movement and in the general public.

The Los Angeles labor federation has been a national leader in the past decade in building unity and developing coalitions to win elections, organizing drives, strikes and contract struggles. Landmark victories have been won for janitors, hospitality workers, home health care workers and recently security guards and the election of warriors for working families at local, state and Congressional levels. The march drew on the experiences to raise its activity to a higher level.

Some 173 "core marchers" participated in the entire march, they came from over 30 unions and at least a dozen community organization, leaders, staff, stewards and rand and file stalwarts. On the 28 mile route they held rallies in commercial centers for janitor, construction sites, and immigrant communities targeted for gentrification, inner city schools, African American led organizations for economic and social justice, a picket of a Wal-Mart. Meal and lunch breaks were hosted by union and community groups. The evening of April 16 after a barbecue meal by union county firefighters marchers did phone banking for labor candidate for County Supervisor Mark Ridley Thomas who marched many of the miles himself.

At every stop they were joined by hundreds of others to learn of the plight and struggles of key industries and neighborhood, and enjoyed some of the areas cultural richness as well. In each leg of the march additional activists, joined with the core marchers.

The starting point of the march, the La Brea Tar pits was a century ago one of the major oil finds in the Los Angeles area oil "rush" which fueled the areas growth into one of the major economic center of the nation and world. The areas corporate 1 oligarchy, partially portrayed in the movie There Will be Blood, used the oil profits to develop Los Angeles as a union free environment. The major tactic of domination was diving White, Black, Brown and Asian Pacific workers.

Unity was the key theme of this march. Labor/community efforts to win back jobs for African Americans in construction, reopening a comprehensive King Hospital in South Los Angeles African American/Latino community, support for organizing of jornaleros (day laborers) and carwasheros ere key themes. "This march is a demonstration of the best that we are, part of our history and future," said State Senator Mark Ridley-Thomas at the marches April 17 morning rally at Harbor General Hospital.