Friday afternoon the Charleston longshoremen joined the picket at Castagnola's Restaurant on Fishermen's Wharf called by Local 2, the Hotel and Restaurant Workers Union, who were protesting the sale of the restaurant to a nonunion outfit. Several of those union members volunteered their services serving food and drinks at the fundraiser benefit party the following evening in the Local 10 hiring hall. Some 200 celebrants partied the night away to the music of master DJ Haywood Richmond, a longshore mechanic when he's not spinning discs. Finally, Riley and his members have been thankful for the groundswell of support expressed in the financial contributions from around the country and motions for solidarity actions. The only weak link in the defense campaign so far has been the silence and inaction from John Bowers, the ILA's International President.
All indications are that that is about to change.
As the campaign gains momentum, ILA locals are beginning to come to the defense of Local 1422 with support rallies, financial donations for legal expenses and pledges of solidarity. Already the International Dockworkers' Council conference held last month in Barcelona, Spain is on board to flex labor's muscle in ports around the world in protest with solidarity actions.