Seattle Longshoremen, Truckers in Potty Dispute -Union Racism? Or Merely Craven?
Seattle Longshoremen, truckers in potty dispute
SEATTLE (AP) — Short-haul truckers who work at the Port of Seattle’s Terminal 30 are threatening to sue for access to a restroom with running water.
Port officials, terminal operator SSA Marine and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union say the truck drivers should use portable toilets. They say it’s a safety issue because of moving equipment.
The non-union, low-income truck drivers who haul containers from the terminal to trains are mostly immigrants from east Africa. They told The Seattle Times they need access to running water to wash their hands before eating or prayers, but they have been blocked from using the restrooms used by the longshoremen.A lawyer for the truckers’ association, Lawrence Hildes, compares the unequal restroom situation to “Jim Crow” racial segregation. He plans to file a lawsuit.
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.
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