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Community Solidarity Picket Blocks Access to Port Of Vancouver

Workers respect community picket as 25 People block the Port of Vancouver in alliance with call out from Occupy Oakland and in solidarity with the Longview, Washington ILWU.

by Annie Elation

BRIEF: This morning at 7:00 am, about 25 people held a community picket at the Clark Drive entrance to the Vancouver port. Participants said that they were blocking the port in solidarity with the striking longshore workers of the Longview, Washington ILWU. Responding to a call out by Occupy Oakland, actions are planned for many West Coast cities to block the ports today.

In Vancouver, people blocked the port access with banners and signs and distributed information to the lineup of port workers. The response from many workers was positive. At some point, it was reported that port authority dispatch put out a call to redirect workers to other port access routes. More than a few workers expressed that they were sorry that all the access routes were not blocked and said that if all routes were blocked, they wouldn't go to work today. As it was, some workers didn't receive the information about other routes being open and said they would not be going to work today in solidarity.

The picket split in two at one point as some participants moved over to picket the Heatley St. access route as well. Participants were inspired that workers were not crossing the community picket line, indicating that, as it is possible for 20 people to picket one access route, it may only take one hundred to shut down the port.

This report was written as the early morning port pickets continued. A larger demonstration is planned for 12pm today starting at Callister Park in East Vancouver.