[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 129 (Friday, October 4, 2002)]
[Senate]
[Pages S9995-S9996]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  STATEMENTS ON SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS

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SENATE RESOLUTION 333--EXPRESSING THE SENSE OF THE SENATE RELATING TO A 
DISPUTE BETWEEN THE PACIFIC MARITIME ASSOCIATION AND THE INTERNATIONAL 
                     LONGSHORE AND WAREHOUSE UNION

  Mr. HUTCHINSON (for himself, Mr. Lott, Mr. Helms, Mr. Hagel, Mr. 
Burns, Mr. Craig, Mr. Roberts, Mr. Allard, Mr. Voinovich, Mr. Crapo, 
Mr. Ensign, Mr. DeWine, Mr. Bond, Mr. Frist, Mr. Warner, and Mr. Hatch) 
submitted the following resolution, which was referred to the Committee 
on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions:

                              S. Res. 333

       Whereas the ongoing dispute between the Pacific Maritime 
     Association and the International Longshore and Warehouse 
     Union, relating to a collective bargaining agreement, has 
     shut down 29 West Coast ports;
       Whereas this dispute has sent harmful economic 
     reverberations far beyond the shipping industry, the West 
     Coast, or even the borders of the United States;
       Whereas 7 percent of the Nation's gross domestic product 
     travels through those ports and the flow of goods in and out 
     of those ports is critical to the operation of businesses, 
     farms, and factories, and the business of retailers and 
     consumers, all across the United States;
       Whereas the stay of all West Coast transport by sea has 
     already prevented farmers from selling their crops, shut down 
     manufacturing plants, idled trucks and trains, and precluded 
     consumers from purchasing goods;
       Whereas, due to the interruption of the flow of commerce 
     caused by the dispute, thousands of persons in the United 
     States have been laid off and are living without a paycheck 
     through no fault of their own;
       Whereas the United States is already enduring an economic 
     recession and high unemployment; and
       Whereas if the shutdown of those ports continues, the 
     shutdown will present a serious threat to the Nation's safety 
     and health: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved,

     SECTION 1. SENSE OF THE SENATE.

       It is the sense of the Senate that--
       (1) the Pacific Maritime Association and the International 
     Longshore and Warehouse Union should enter into mediation to 
     resolve the dispute, adopt 24-hour extensions of the expired 
     collective bargaining agreement, and end the current lockout; 
     and
       (2) if the Pacific Maritime Association and the 
     International Longshore and Warehouse Union do not reach a 
     settlement or reopen the ports through that mediation during 
     a reasonable period (as determined by the President), the 
     President should appoint a board of inquiry, to begin the 
     emergency dispute-settling procedure under the Labor-
     Management Relations Act, 1947.
  Mr. HUTCHINSON. Mr. President, today, many of my colleagues have 
joined me in submitting a resolution urging the President to invoke the 
Taft Hartley emergency dispute resolution procedures in response to the 
complete shutdown of twenty-nine West Coast ports due to a labor 
dispute. I deeply regret that this legislation is necessary, but the 
grave economic consequences of the shutdown and the serious 
ramifications on our country's ability to improve homeland security 
have made it so.
  It is estimated that 7 percent of our Nation's gross domestic product 
flow through these ports. However, that does not begin to calculate the 
cost to the workers and families who are and will be affected by this 
impasse. Transportation of products to West Coast ports has been shut 
down. The jobs of railroad employees, barge employees, and independent 
truck drivers, whose livelihoods all depend upon the flow of goods in 
and out these ports, are being endangered by this dispute. In addition, 
manufacturers who are unable to move products are facing unexpected 
storage costs that have already resulted in thousands of layoffs.
  In the agriculture sector, the inability to ship grains, vegetables, 
livestock, and other perishables is having a catastrophic effect on 
farmers and ranchers, many of whom are already facing consecutive years 
of drought and economic hardship. The ability to move agricultural 
products and sell them to foreign markets when prices are best is 
essential to the health of rural communities across our country. In 
addition, the inability to move these products off our own domestic 
market threatens to push commodity and livestock prices even lower. 
Agricultural producers and marketers have spent millions of dollars to 
open and develop Asian markets amidst heavy competition from Canada, 
Australia, and many other countries vying for access. This dispute is 
threatening thousands of jobs and years of work to increase trade with 
these emerging markets.
  At a time when the country is already experiencing economic 
hardships, this shutdown is jeopardizing the jobs and livelihoods of 
thousands of citizens across our country. From auto-workers in Michigan 
and Missouri to rice and wheat farmers in Arkansas and Kansas, the 
human cost of this dispute far exceeds the financial and technical 
issues that have provoked it.
  This resolution calls on the Pacific Maritime Association and the 
International Longshore and Warehouse Union to adopt 24-hour extensions 
of the expired collective bargaining agreement and end the current 
lockout while they go through mediation.
  It also urges the President to appoint a board of inquiry and begin 
the emergency dispute settling procedures called for under the Taft 
Hartley Labor Management Relations Act, 1947, if he determines that 
mediation has failed.
  My colleagues and I have taken this action out of concern for our 
home states and the safety and health of the

[[Page S9996]]

nation. Much of the industry in my home state of Arkansas relies on 
product import and export, and much of it travels through west coast 
docks. Arkansas is already feeling the effect of the shutdown, and it 
is critical that labor dispute be solved before even more damage is 
done.
  Mr. Craig. Mr. President, I rise to commend my colleague, the Senator 
from Arkansas, Mr. Hutchinson, and an happy to join him as an original 
cosponsor, upon his submission of a resolution expressing the sense of 
the Senate about the recent shutdown of shipping that has occurred on 
the West Coast.
  We are at war with terrorism. The Senate is now debating action on 
another front in that war. We are at a critical moment in our economic 
recovery, when we are eager for that economy to continue to grow, and 
we want to protect and resume creating good jobs for American workers.
  At such a time, frankly, I am at a loss to understand how such a 
dispute has ever come about in these 29 ports on the West Coast. I 
would hope the partied involved understand that they risk strangling an 
estimated 7 percent of our Nation's economy. I would hope they realize 
the implications a prolonged dispute would have for millions of workers 
and their families, as well as for our Nation's health and safety.
  This shutdown already is hurting agriculture, one of the largest 
sectors of Idaho's economy. I have been in touch with farmers and 
ranchers in Idaho. The impact of this shutdown has been immediate and 
it threatens to be devastating. I know it is affecting other industries 
as well. We have all heard the estimates that it will cost the Nation's 
economy $1 billion a day, but I understand that is the cost in the 
early days of the shutdown. The harm will grown, and it is something 
that workers, families, farmers, and employers in Idaho and across the 
Nation should not be forced to bear.
  So, I commend Senator Hutchinson for his leadership in the submission 
of this resolution. I join him in imploring the disputing parties to 
work with urgency to resolve differences and reach a settlement, while 
adopting twenty-four extensions of the expired collective bargaining 
agreement, allowing the ports to reopen, and restoring the full, brisk, 
efficient flow of American goods to markets overseas.
  I also appreciate the fact that the adminsitraiton already is working 
to resolve this problem. A Federal mediator has gotten engaged. Now it 
is time for the Senate to add its voice to the constructive efforts of 
the administration.
  With my colleagues, I call on the disputing parties to consider the 
good of the country at a critical time; to recognize the 
responsibilities of a good neighbor to employers and labor across our 
land; and to come back to the table and come back to work.
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   SENATE RESOLUTION 334--RECOGNIZING THE ELLIS ISLAND MEDAL OF HONOR

  Mr. DASCHLE (for Mrs. Clinton) submitted the following resolution; 
which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary:

                              S. Res. 334

       Whereas the Ellis Island Medal of Honor, established by the 
     National Ethnic Coalition of Organizations in 1986, pays 
     tribute to individuals of various ethnic origins who have 
     distinguished themselves through their contributions to the 
     United States;
       Whereas the Ellis Island Medal of Honor has been awarded on 
     a bipartisan basis to 6 Presidents and numerous 
     Representatives and Senators;
       Whereas the National Ethnic Coalition of Organizations is 
     the largest organization of its kind in the United States, 
     representing more than 5,000,000 family members and serving 
     as an umbrella group for more than 250 organizations that 
     span the spectrum of ethnic heritage, culture, and religion;
       Whereas the mandate of the National Ethnic Coalition of 
     Organizations is to preserve ethnic diversity, promote 
     equality and tolerance, combat injustice, and bring about 
     harmony and unity among all peoples;
       Whereas the Ellis Island Medal of Honor is named for the 
     gateway through which more than 12,000,000 immigrants passed 
     in their quest for freedom of speech, freedom of religion, 
     and economic opportunity;
       Whereas the Ellis Island Medal of Honor celebrates the 
     richness and diversity of American life by honoring not only 
     individuals, but the pluralism and democracy that have 
     enabled the Nation's ethnic groups to maintain their 
     identities while becoming integral parts of the American way 
     of life;
       Whereas during the 15-year history of the Ellis Island 
     Medal of Honor, more than 1,500 individuals from scores of 
     different ethnic groups have received the Medal, and more 
     than 5,000 individuals are nominated each year for the Medal; 
     and
       Whereas at the 2002 Ellis Island Medal of Honor ceremony in 
     New York City, individuals from different ethnic groups will 
     be honored for their contributions to the rescue and recovery 
     efforts of September 11, 2001, the war against terrorism, and 
     the enhancement of the Nation's homeland security: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate recognizes the Ellis Island Medal 
     of Honor for acknowledging individuals who live exemplary 
     lives as Americans while preserving the values of their 
     particular ethnic heritage.

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