[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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