Incoming Freshman Debut Reception at LAHC

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Health in Wilmington, CA from The Wilmington Wire on Vimeo.

I met with Alberto Ramirez earlier this week and asked for his thoughts on how living in Wilmington has effected his health. Alberto graduated from Loyola Marymount University, and is a passionate activist and community organizer. To learn more about how to support the Clean Truck Program follow their facebook page. If you would like to tell us your story about how feel living in Wilmington has effected your personal or family's health, shoot us an email info@wilmingtonwire.org.

Celebrate Phineas Banning’s Birthday

The Banning Museum will host a celebration honoring Phineas Banning’s birthday next week, Thursday, August 19th.

Phineas Banning, also known as “The Father of the Port of Los Angeles & Harbor,” was the founder of our town, Wilmington, California, which he named after his hometown Wilmington, Delaware.

He was given the tag name of “The Father of the Port of Los Angeles” for being the first to introduce & invest in the concept of the ports to Southern California during the 19th century. His dream was to bring growth and prosperity to the Harbor.

It’s interesting to witness what Wilmington has become. I wonder if it’s what Banning imagined it to be?

If you’re interested in learning more about the history of Wilmington while having some fun celebrating Banning’s birthday, join the celebration on Thursday, August 19, 2010.

Here are the details:

Event Prices

VIP ADMISSION: $75.00 per person
includes: Concert Celebration, VIP Parking on the Museum Grounds, Boxed Supper and Table Seating (Reservations and meal selection are required for VIP admission), Complimentary soft drink or wine, Complimentary Dessert

General Admission: $25.00 per person
includes: Concert Celebration, Bring your own Picnic and Picnic seating (Blankets and low chairs are permitted, spaces are first come, first served), Complimentary Dessert

For further information or to make a reservation please call (310) 548-2005.

Truck Flipped on I-710 & Construction Plans

This morning during my regular drive to work I came across a flipped cargo truck on the I-710 off of the Anaheim exit. This is not the first time this occurs specifically on the 710, which is the freeway thousands of trucks drive through daily to get to the Los Angeles and Lon Beach Port primarily.

I tried to check if there was any coverage on this accident but so far I haven’t seen anything, therefore, I’m not sure if the driver is in good condition. As I was driving I did see him getting pulled into an ambulance, but he looked conscious.

If you noticed there has been reconstruction worked on I-710 for the past couple of years. The freeway's pavement has been badly damaged as a result, since it was not designed to carry nearly as large of a load of truck traffic. It has also become a major source of air pollution, emanating from diesel-fueled trucks idling in rush hour traffic congestion and giving cities along its route some of the worst air quality in already smoggy Southern California.

There has been a lot of controversy about constructing the proposed extension of Interstate 710 into South Pasadena and Pasadena and corridor 46. This controversial freeway extension north of Interstate 10 still is planned for construction, but it may be built as a tunnel rather than a freeway.

Corridor 46 would follow Interstate 710 from Long Beach north to California 60, the Pomona Freeway. The purpose would be provide an upgrade of Interstate 710 and ancillary routes to serve the industrial ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach and improve traffic flow for trucks and cars along the freeway between California 60 and the port areas.

Many local residents have opposed these construction efforts because some argue that it would increase the flow of truck traffic, more big rig trucks would park overnight on residential streets, this major truck route would intersect residential neighborhoods from El Sereno to Sunland, increasing noise and emissions next to no less than 13 public and private schools adjacent to the route and many more issues.

To learn more about this issue & get updates check out these sites

http://www.metro.net/projects/i710_corridor/
http://www.710freeway.org/
http://www.aaroads.com/high-priority/corr46.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstate_710

Community Support for Union Members Laid-Off from Tesoro’s subcontractor Savage

31 union laborers who run the Coker Unit at the Tesoro Refinery in Wilmington, CA were laid off when Tesoro subcontracted the unit to Savage, a non-union contractor based in Utah. With the previous subcontractor, Marsulex, the union members of the Coker Unit had negotiated a good contract including 100% employer-paid-health insurance, pay raises, and extra vacation time. Marsulex had received mutiple prestigious Contractor Merit Safety Awards from the National Petrochemical and Refiners Association (NPRA). In May 2010, days after workers winning a great contract with Marsulex, Tesoro decided to replace Marsulex with Savage.

We spoke to a few of the men who had been let go, most of them from Carson and Wilmington. They believed that they would all be interviewed and re-hired by Savage but this was not the case, many of them were not even given interviews. Only 7 men were re-hired to train the new employees. Joe Juarez from Carson, who had been working for the Coker unit 6 years, spoke to us about his brother who had been working there 22 years and was laid-off without even being given an interview. These men were all highly skilled laborers, whose unit had held the Safety Record for the past 3 years. The men spoke to us about the complexity of their work, and how past fires and explosions have been caused by inexperienced employees. As residents of Wilmington, we should all be concerned about a whole unit being replaced by all new laborers, and what this means for our safety and health.

The new hires are all non-union and being bused in from Kern County. This goes directly against what the Tesoro Corporation states on their website, “we value the relationships we develop with our customers, the performance we deliver for our shareholders and the responsibility we hold for our communities.” In addition to laying off local employees, contracting Savage directly demonstrates that Tesoro is putting profits above safety and not upholding its commitment to the surrounding community.

Tesoro is also one of the main financial backers of Prop 23, which they are deceitfully calling, “The California Job Initiative”. Prop 23 will be on the November ballot, which seeks to kill AB-32, California’s Global Warming Solution Act. Implementing AB-32 will require refineries like Tesoro to invest in upgrading their facilitates to be more energy efficient, and be accountable to California’s progressive environmental laws. Oil refineries have one of the lowest rates in job creation, and after laying off award winning employees, how can we believe that passing Prop 23 will actually create more jobs.

The men who lost their jobs were given a small severance package, which only included two months of pay. We urge you to show your support for the union members by calling or writing Tesoro’s Marketing Representative Elias Reyna and ask that Tesoro support the safety and best interests of the community, by breaking their contract with Savage. You can also donate dry non-perishable foods to the families who are suffering their job loss at the ILWU Local 13 office at 630 S. Centre Street., San Pedro, CA 90731

Sample Letter Below

Elias Reyna

Human Resources Tesoro Refining & Marketing

Tesoro Wilmington Refinery

2101 “E” PCH HWY

Wilmington, CA 90744

Re: Community Concern Over Subcontractor “Savage”

Dear Tesoro Representative:

I am writing to you as a concerned member of the community. I was dismayed to learn that you recently changed subcontractors in your “Coker Unit” to a subcontractor who refused to employ most of the workers who had been working safely and efficiently in the “Coker Unit” for years. I understand that your new subcontractor, “Savage” has given away the jobs that used to belong to these members of our community to outside workers.

You state on your website: “We Value the Communities We Serve.” I believe that Tesoro’s consent to the lay-off of experienced workers who are from our community shows Tesoro actually lacks respect for the surrounding community.

I want Tesoro to reconsider its decision to hire the subcontractor “Savage” and/or I want Tesoro to require any subcontractor, including the existing one, to place value on employing an experienced workforce and rehire all the laid-off workers from my community.

Sincerely,

______________

Sources/More Information

PR News Wire

Prop 23 Info

ILWU Local 13

Contact D.C. Chavez

630 Centre Street

San Pedro, California 90731

(310) 830-1130 Business Office