Leaders of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union say they plan to appeal the fine imposed Friday over a labor dispute in Longview.U.S. District Judge Ronald Leighton fined the union $250,000.
Leighton said he needed to take action in an effort to stop what he called an "awful" situation.
The court has held the union in contempt for blocking a train earlier this month and for causing damage at a grain terminal during a protest.
Roy San Filippo is with the union. He says today's decision was not a surprise. But they expect to be vindicated through an appeal.
"Procedures in this area of law are there to protect the flow of commerce at the expense of normal due process rights found in other areas of the law," Filippo says. "Even still, the ILWU did not even get the minimal protection that the courts are required to provide in this type of proceeding. Today's ruling listed a large number of damages and we are contesting that full list."
The ILWU believes its members have the right to work at a big new grain terminal operated by the company EGT. The protests erupted when EGT hired workers from a different union, based in Oregon.
The National Labor Relations Board had asked the court to fine the union more than $290,000 to cover damages and expenses.
The judge said he rounded that amount down to be cautious, and ordered additional penalties for future violations.
Copyright 2011 Northwest News Network
Federal Judge Fines Longshore Union
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