Locked Out
Directed by Joan Sekler
www.lockedout2010.org
Locked Out, a film by Joan Sekler, documents the struggle of workers at the Borax mine in Boron, California, against the mine's multinational owner, Rio Tinto.
The mine is integral to the towns economy, employing 570 workers ― about a quarter of the population of Boron.
In September 2009, Rio Tinto revealed it intended on scrapping the workers' contract. The pay, benefits, and conditions set out in the contract had been negotiated for with workers over the past 40 years.
Larry Roberts, a worker at the mine and member of the union, Local 30 Iinternational Longshore and Warehouse Union, said: “Every negotiation we tweak it up and down, we work something out fair for both of us. This time they refused to negotiate ... we feel betrayed.”
Rio Tinto general manager Dean Gehring explained management's position by saying: “The contract here continues to get more and more complicated. It doesn't work in a mining environment.
“The contract language we proposed is common around America for mining facilities and it works quite well.”
For months, the union tried to negotiate with Rio Tinto management. But the union said that on several occasions management turned up to bargaining meetings hours late only to stay for 15 minutes before leaving.
By January 2010, negotiations were still being stalled, with Rio Tinto refusing to negotiate in good faith.
Dave Irish, unionised Boron mine worker, said it was at this point that management said: “Either you ratify this [contract] or we're locking you out January 31.”
This threat would mean denying the unionised mineworkers access to the work site.
An emergency meeting of the union took a vote to decide the next step: to accept the new contract that severely cut conditions long fought for, or to reject the contract and be locked out of their jobs.
They voted to reject the new contract. However, David Leibengood, the Local 30 ILWU president, said the workers were still willing to negotiate with management.
“Our strategy was not to go on strike, but to get a fair contract,” he said.
But the workers were not on strike, they had been locked out.
Come January 31, 2010, waving American flags, the workers marched together with their families to the gates of the mines chanting “we want work” and “What do we want? Contracts. When do we want it? Now.”
A picket line was set up at the gates of the mine.
Rio Tinto brought in temporary workers to replace the locked-out workers.
The locked-out workers were prompted by their experiences to learn more about their bosses. They discover the history of Rio Tinto's attempts to water down workers' conditions and deunionise workforces around the world.
Examples are cited of Australia in the 1990s and Papua New Guinea in the 1980s.
The film documents how the union was able to support its members through the Rio Tinto lock-out. Committees were formed to assist with community outreach, as well as finances to ensure workers were able to make house payments and medical bills.
After about four months holding down a picket at the gates of the mine and tirelessly liaising with the Rio Tinto international and local management, the company agreed to come back to the bargaining table.
The Boron mine union, with the support of the management of the ILWU, said they would cease to accept cargo from temporary workers on the Boran site. This closed down the docks so that none of Rio Tinto's mined resources could leave the US west coast.
This, together, with the reported drop in productivity at the mine due to use of unskilled temporary workers saw Rio Tinto agree to negotiate a new contract with the workers.
By May 24, 2010 the new contract had been agreed to by management and the union, compromises were made but the workers were largely satisfied. Their struggle had paid off, they had their win.
In the final moments of the documentary, the camera pans across graffiti on-site that read: “David beats Goliath.”
Rio Tinto refused to take part in an interview for the documentary. This means the story is told largely through the perspective of the unionised workers at the Boran mine, and through other unions and groups around the world who extended solidarity ― including some who had experiences similar treatment at Rio Tinto's hands.
The film documents the devastating effects of government complicity in corporate domination over communities and workers. It also shows the strength and courage of workers resistance, which in this case won out.
Robert McEllrath, ILWU international president, said: “You guys stood up, you've set the bar.
“This is a huge victory for the ILWU. It's a huge victory for the labour movement, in the country and around the world.”
[Inner West Film Forum (IWFF) is screening Locked Out on May 31, 7.30pm at Petersham Bowling Club, 77 Brighton St, Petersham. Also screening is Chris Marker's classic 1968 documentary, Be Seeing You (1968), which charts an earlier workers' struggle. Entry by membership of film forum $15/$12, covers three months.
For more details, contact Alex 0449 184 801. The IWFF is a non-profit group dedicated to the screening of important and too infrequently seen films and documentaries and providing a community forum for discussion of issues of social, political and cultural concern.]