Philadelphia union dock workers have reportedly dumped cartons of Del Monte pineapples into the Delaware River in protest of the multinational fruit marketer’s decision to move its banana shipping business to a less expensive port.
The demonstration at Penn’s Landing was made by members of the International Longshoremen’s Association at the end of a Labour Day parade on Monday 6 September, according to a report by the Philadelphia Inquirer.
The union will lose 200 to 300 jobs when Del Monte Fresh Produce shifts its banana business (75 ships and 500,000 tonnes of banana cargo) from Camden to the privately owned Gloucester Terminals, the report said.
The ILA union claims the Gloucester workers are paid below industry standards – between US$12 and US$17 per hour, some with no benefits.
However, Leo Holt, whose family runs the Gloucester facility, told the Philadelphia Inquirer in a previous interview that Del Monte needs a more modern terminal with appropriate capacity.
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