Cruise Ships Bank Long Green off Backs of Longshoremen.

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Seward Cruise Ship Industry Practices Onerous and Unsafe.


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One learned longshore employee suggested, "I am working on a fabulous multi-million dollar ship, owned by a billion dollar, multi-national organization with a cave man baggage operation," reported Arbitrator John Swanson.

Grueling and oppressive baggage handling practices may be lucrative for the Cruise Ship Industry, but according to a recent arbitration decision, the cost has been born literally on the backs of Alaskan longshoreman.

"For many years the cruise lines have saved huge sums of money because they have had the advantages available in Seward and now Whittier. These advantages have taken a tremendous, unacceptable toll on the employees involved in the operations," suggested Arbitrator John Swanson in his written decision. "As cruise ships are becoming ever larger with a growing complement of passengers and baggage, these conditions cannot continue to exist. It must be recognized and clear to everyone involved that the Industry has had a tremendous cost-saving situation and it is time to be realistic."

Prior to making his award, Swanson visited cruise lines and stevedoring operations in both Whittier and Seward. He spent time aboard cruise ships in Seattle and Vancouver B.C., where he met with officers of the ILWU, SSA Pacific, ILWU Canada, and the Manager of Stevedoring Operation CERES. Swanson also held two-day hearing in Seward.

After his first-hand investigation, Swanson found that Alaskan Cruise Ship Industy operations didn't measure up. He discovered that local longshoremen have been working under onerous, physically demanding, and unsafe conditions since the Cruise Industry initially started in Seward. "It is what it is," offered Swanson.

For many years, individual longshoremen have been required to handle in excess of 2,000 pieces of baggage per vessel. These bags, some of which weigh over 50 pounds, often must be manhandled from positions above the worker's head. That equates to over 70,000 lbs. being physically lifted by hand by an individual longshoreman exchanging departing passenger bags for arriving ones on a cruise ship.

"Any reasonable person would agree this type of work on an ongoing, repetitive basis has negative, detrimental consequences," determined Swanson in his decision, which also awarded elevated numbers of longshoremen assigned to bag handling duties.

"The employers and the ILWU Union have agreed to abide by this decision. I expect there will still be a few issues with interpretation of the decision, but it looks pretty straight forward to me," suggested Carl Norman of ILWU Unit 60 in Seward.

"When change is inevitable, it is in everyoneís interest to work together and accept change in a way that provides the service to the customer that they deserve while giving necessary recognition to the parties providing that service," suggested Swanson. "This approach would be a win-win situation for all involved. The past is what it was; the future is what the parties are now responsible to address and it should be considered in the best interests of all who participate in the operations."