OAKLAND – A labor organization is suing a shipping company, alleging that it knowingly failed and refused to recognize the organization as the exclusive bargaining representative for currently licensed officers.
American Maritime Officers, affiliated with Seafarers International Union of North America, and AFL-CIO filed a complaint on Feb. 20 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California - Oakland Division against American President Lines LTD. and APL Maritime LTD, citing violation of a collective bargaining agreement.
According to the complaint, the plaintiffs allege that based on the collective bargaining agreement between them and the defendants, the plaintiffs have exclusive rights providing licensed crew members aboard the defendants' vessel. The plaintiff holds the defendants responsible because they allegedly crewed license deck officers aboard the APL Guam by members of other organizations.
The plaintiffs seek the following: compensation for all damages, including to continue to recognize plaintiff as the exclusive bargaining representative, legal fees and any other relief this court deems just and proper. They are represented by Tyler M. Paetkau, Olga Savage and Jay Withee of Hartnett, Smith & Paetkau Glanstein LLP in Redwood City and David M. Glanstein of Glanstein LLP in New York, New York.
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California - Oakland Division Case number 3:16-cv-00861-MEJ