Its trendy to bash unions right now, and Wisconsin and Ohio are the leaders of the pack. Now at home, the Inland Boatmans Union (IBU) in Seattle is negotiating with Crowley Maritime Corp., for the fourth time this year, to keep our sailors health care and 3 percent inflation salary compensation in our contract. It doesnt look good.

In an industry with demanding physical and dangerous working conditions, to remove our health care is a slap in the face. They want us to sacrifice our bodies for their profit, and make us pay for any health care needed. Our living wage, adjusted for inflation, makes it easier to leave our families and friends for long periods of time, often months. 

We risk our lives with Crowley on the high seas, and increasingly dicey weather conditions, to bring goods, commodities and fuel to and from the U.S. Their ships and tugs ply this river in front of our town.

There are two dozen-plus IBU members in Clatsop and Pacific counties. If Crowley makes us pay for our own health care and curtails the inflation percentage it will cut into our incomes, which means less for spending at home. If Crowley succeeds, Foss Maritime, Olympic Tug & Barge, Tidewater Barge Lines Inc. and other tug companies will try.

Lately, Ive been reading about Astorias history. It used to be sailors had to be kidnapped to fill out the crews on a ship. The pay was poor or nonexistent, food and living conditions sparse and unhealthy, and the work dangerous, with no safety gear. The Jones Act and unions changed that.

Seems like were slouching towards shanghai days.

PAMELA MATTSON McDONALD

Astoria