Philadelphia Central Labor Council's resolution in support of the Del Monte Fresh boycott

Resolution in Solidarity with the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA)
Local 1291 at the Port of Philadelphia and Boycott of Del Monte Products

WHEREAS, after a twenty-two year working relationship with the International Longshoremen's
Association at the Port of Philadelphia, Del Monte Fresh Produce Co. gave notice that on October 1, 2010 it would be moving its fruit ships away from an ILA worked Pier 5 facility in Camden, New Jersey; and

WHEREAS, this move means that 200 to 225 full-time ILA jobs, or 400,000 labor hours have been lost to the ILA, representing about one-third of the union’s hours annually worked on the Delaware River; and

WHEREAS, workers who will now unload Del Monte produce at the Holt-owned Gloucester Terminal earn substantially less in wages and benefits than workers who collectively bargain through ILA; and

WHEREAS, Del Monte’s callous actions will devastate Camden workers and their families, as well as undermine local communities that benefit from the union jobs at this tri-state port that serves
Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware; and

WHEREAS, the move by Del Monte, is even more shameful because Del Monte abandoned Camden and ILA after pressuring the ILA into $5 million in wage and other labor concessions; and after the State of New Jersey, in an effort to keep the Del Monte jobs and business, made approximately $25 million in infrastructure improvements, offered more acreage at no cost, and agreed to a cap on electricity bills to reduce Del Monte’s energy costs from $1.3 million to $700,000; and

WHEREAS, while Del Monte’s actions grievously hurt working families and communities, Del Monte had record-setting sales years in 2008 and 2009, with “net” profits of more than $300 million; and

WHEREAS, communities and workers alike vigorously oppose Del Monte and its collusion with the
Holt family, both of which stand to gain financially from the move to Gloucester; and

WHEREAS, in response to Del Monte’s action, the ILA has called for a boycott of Del Monte products;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Philadelphia Council AFL-CIO extends our solidarity to
ILA Local 1291, and demands that Del Monte stop its movement of ships to the Gloucester Terminal
facility, and restore this work to Camden, along with over 200 full time union jobs with good pay and benefits; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Philadelphia Council AFL-CIO protests Del Monte’s action
which will cause severe economic hardship to ILA workers, their families and the states of Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware during the worst economic period since the Great Depression; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Philadelphia Council AFL-CIO supports the Boycott of Del
Monte products and will engage in actions in support of ILA Local 1291 until the matter is resolved,
including mobilizing our members not to buy Del Monte products; distributing this information through our communications network, and sending a copy of this resolution to Del Monte and Holt Enterprises.