YouTube video by Green Day

This is WorkWeek with Steve Zeltzer. This week we will cover the ILWU Local 6 strike of the C&H sugar refining company in Crockett. It is their first strike in 70 years. As you go over the Carquinez bridge in Contra Costa county you will see a big plant on the waters edge. It is the C&H sugar company which is the largest sugar refinery on the West Coast. Ninety one workers who are members of ILWU Local 6 are on the first strike of the local at that plant for 70 years. They have faced take-aways on their contract rights and also attacks on healthcare for the retirees at the plant. They also face other unions telling their members to cross the picket lines. It is owned by American Sugar Refining which has plantations in Dominican Republic and Haiti. It is headquartered in Florida. Bay Area residents have faced continued illegal flaring and refinery explosions and fires injuring workers and contaminating the community. One of these facilities that has serious health and safety problems is the Marathon refinery in Concords that processes fats for diesel fuel. Workers there are members of USW 6 and have been on strike for month to defend their conditions and keep their contract tied to other national oil contracts. Other building trades unions have agreements that they will cross the picket lines of other workers so they are continuing to cross the line. There is growing support for a working class political alternative to the Democratic Party and in Chicago and teacher Ed Hershey is running for Congress as an independent working class candidate with the Working Class Party. We interview him about his campaign and why working people and labor need their own political party. WorkWeek https://soundcloud.com/workweek-radio