WASHINGTON — The following is a statement by Teamsters President James P. Hoffa:
The Teamsters Union stands shoulder to shoulder with our brothers and sisters in the West Coast Longshore Union (ILWU) who have been locked out.
The employer lockout is the labor relations equivalent of an act of war and we stand ready to assist in any way possible.
We strongly oppose any decision to impose Taft Hartley in this situation or the use of federal troops to replace the locked out workers. Such actions would be viewed as open union-busting by the Teamsters and all of labor.
I call on all Teamsters to lend your solidarity and support to our brothers and sisters in the West Coast Ports.
The Longshore workers fight is our fight. Our two unions have a strong history of cooperation and now is the time to put it to use to ensure that a collective bargaining agreement that meets the needs of the longshoremen and their families is reached.