Baltimore longshore local to be placed in trusteeship

The national office of the International Longshoremen’s Association said a trustee will take temporary control of the port’s labor union.

   A Baltimore-area local of the International Longshoremen’s Association is being placed into a temporary trusteeship on Monday.
   James McNamara, a spokesman for the union, said over the weekend that members of Local 333 were being informed today that the local is “in temporary trusteeship, as per the International Constitution.”
   The appointed trustee is likely to be someone from the ILA’s Executive Council.
   “A hearing on the trusteeship will be held on Thursday, Dec. 4, with ILA Local 333 membership,” he said.
   The trusteeship could be welcome news to shippers if it eventually leads to ratification of a local contract in Baltimore. While the ILA members approved a coast-wide contract in April 2013, Baltimore has not yet approved a contract on local issues, despite efforts by the union’s leadership to help negotiate a deal.
   McNamara did not discuss the reasons for the trusteeship, but the Baltimore Sun reported that there are accusations of “mishandled” union finances and “stacked membership rolls.”