Five Questions for John D. Baker Jr., Acting President, Great Lakes District Council, International Longshoremen’s Association
The Editors
Post a Comment
1) What is your opinion of the state of labor-management relations in the Great Lakes/St. Lawrence Seaway System? What things could be done to improve the labor-management environment?
Labor-management relations in the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway System can improve through better and more frequent communications. As things stand now, we really only get together for meaningful discussions when we are in contract negotiations. I firmly believe that we need to get together more often to air out our differences. One way to start that process would be to have quarterly meetings in different ports throughout the Lakes where we can talk through issues of substance and get those issues addressed before they become problems.
2) You’ve been working in the Great Lakes/St. Lawrence Seaway maritime industry for your entire 
professional life. What have you enjoyed most about this industry and what do you see in terms of its future?
Speaking from my perspective as someone who represents organized labor, I really enjoy working with the people who actually do the work in our industry. They are hard-working people who have families that they are trying to feed, educate and provide for. As for the future, I think that short-sea shipping is an idea whose time may have finally come. As more people understand the benefits of moving goods by water and it becomes more difficult and expensive to move things overland, the maritime industry will be there to move the cargoes that will fuel the American economy for generations to come.
3) Your father is a very influential figure in the Great Lakes/St. Lawrence Seaway maritime industry and also within the ILA internationally? What are some of the special challenges of being the son of such an influential figure in an industry where you now hold a leadership position?
My family is very close and I’m lucky to have the opportunity to work with my dad, my brother, my uncle and other members of the Baker family. I’m proud of my Dad and my family and hope to make them proud of what I do as well. My dad has always told me not to worry about trying to fill anyone else’s shoes but to do the best I know how. So that’s what I try to do. When you work for the benefit of other families whose livelihoods partly depend on how well you do your job, you have a big responsibilty to your members. Doing a good job for our members has been my Dad’s focus and is it is for me too.
4) What are the biggest challenges facing the ILA nationally and here in the Great Lakes?
The ILA is facing the challenge of how we deal with new technologies in our workplace. We aren’t against technology as some people would have you believe. We’re for using technology to make our work better, safer and more productive but we have to have the training and experience to help our employers make there operations more efficient. We understand that if they don’t make money, we don’t make money. They just have to understand that if they don’t do their part to get us work, they can’t make money either.
In the near term, I should also mention that the master contract is coming up for renewal with our International and the Great Lakes District contract will be up for renewal in 2010. I’d like to see that improvement in communications I talked about take place so everyone can go into those negotiations without being blind-sided.
5) What are some of the things you would like to accomplish during your term as Acting President of the Great Lakes District Council ?
As I say, first I want to improve communications and have these quarterly meetings that I’ve talked about. I’d also like to see short-sea shipping become a reality in the Lakes. I think the Great Lakes/St. Lawrence Seaway system is the perfect proving ground for this sort of thing and I’d like to see us become the model for short-sea shipping in North America. Maybe then we can take our rightful place as America’s Forth Seacoast.
Reader Comments