Union picket halts load of holiday trees

Union picketing at one of the nation’s busiest ports delayed departure of some Christmas trees bound for Hawaii and led to cancellation of an annual media event for the trees’ arrival.

Matson Inc. said Tuesday the MV Manoa, carrying holiday evergreens, was held up at the Port of Oakland in California because of a labor dispute that stopped work for a day.

Consumers should not be affected by the delay since about 60 percent of the Christmas trees Matson is delivering to Hawaii this year have already arrived, said company spokes­man Jeff Hull.

Matson had designated the Manoa as "the annual Christmas tree ship" and invited news organizations to cover unloading of trees on Sunday, an event the company usually stages a few days after Thanksgiving.

Because the Manoa will be delayed by a day, the company has opted not to hold the event and to speed delivery of the trees to sellers.

"Those trees are going to be there, and they are going to be fine," said Hull.

Custodial and maintenance workers picketed at the Port of Oakland on Tuesday, blocking trucks from picking up and delivering goods, The Associated Press reported. Hundreds of angry workers carried signs during the one-day protest over stalled contract talks.

The Manoa was one of several ships affected by the picketing.

Matson, the state’s largest ocean carrier between Hawaii and the mainland, delivers about 100,000 Christmas trees annually to the islands, Hull said.

The delay is not affecting such retailers as Costco and Home Depot, whose shipments have already arrived as the stores prepare to launch tree sales today and the day after Thanksgiving, respectively. Habilitat, which sells about 5,000 trees a year at several locations around Oahu, said it used another ocean carrier, Horizon Lines Inc., to deliver its trees this year.

Union officials said Oakland Mayor Jean Quan had stepped in to bring the parties back to the table to continue contract talks.

"The port is committed to reaching a mutual agreeable contract, as soon as possible," Acting Port Executive Director Deborah Ale Flint said in a written statement. "This important step will allow our marine terminals to reopen for the evening shift, and make sure our truckers and shippers can get their goods to market on time."

The port declared an impasse in contract negotiations in May, and the two sides are still scheduled to meet later this month. The talks broke down amid issues involving pay, benefits and a demand by the port that custodial and maintenance workers contribute to a retirement fund.

Numerous dockworkers, who load and unload cargo vessels, refused to cross the picket line as a show of solidarity with the protesting workers.

"These service workers have effectively shut down the port," said Jack Heyman, a retired longshoreman from Oakland who chairs the International Longshore and Warehouse Union’s transport workers solidarity committee.

Dozens of truck drivers decided not to interrupt the protest.

"What can you do?" David Soria, a driver for Modesto-based Rocha Transportation, said as he waited to drop off a shipment of wine. "My company told me to stay, so I’ll stay. And wait."

The port handles about 2.3 million cargo containers a year, generating about $300 million in revenue. Officials, however, say the facility is $1.3 billion in debt.

The service union, which represents electricians, clerical workers, security personnel and janitors, says the port is withholding requested financial information. The union also said port officials have implemented unilateral changes during bargaining sessions.

"We’re showing you that if you don’t take us seriously, we have the ability to shut down the port," said Gary Jime­nez, a union vice president.

The protest marked the latest work stoppage at the port within the past 12 months. Occupy Oakland demonstrators shut it down twice last year.

Passing motorists blared horns and supporters pounded drums as strikers chanted, "Shut it down, we’re a union town!"

"We’re letting management and the public know that they can’t treat us like that," said Lynn Rior­dan, a communications staffer for Service Employees International Union Local 1021.