Suit Claims Bias Against Black Dockworkers

Three longshoremen’s union locals and the management association at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach were accused in a federal class-action lawsuit Thursday of discriminating against African Americans in favor of whites and Latinos.

The suit against the Pacific Maritime Assn., the management group representing shippers and terminal operators, and Locals 13, 63 and 94 of the International Longshoremen and Warehouse Union charges that black dockworkers have been denied promotions, paid less and subjected to verbal and physical abuse.

The unions and the Pacific Maritime Assn., the suit alleges, are controlled by whites and Latinos who “have systematically practiced illegal racial and gender discrimination against African American employees or have permitted lower-level supervisors and managers to practice racial and gender discrimination through a variety of methods.”

The suit asks for $25 million in damages. Officials at the unions and the management group could not be reached for comment.

The lead plaintiff in the suit, Hattie Simsisulu, a clerk for the past 14 years, was described as a special target of abuse because of her work organizing African American waterfront workers in California, Oregon and Washington. Another African American woman, who was not named, had urine thrown on her a month ago, according to the suit.

And Donald Matthews, an African American crane operator who has worked on the docks for 18 years, was “brutally attacked by a 300-pound bully,” who called him “nigger” and punched him, knocking out one of his teeth, the suit said.

Matthews, the other named plaintiff in the suit, had made a number of complaints to his superiors about racial bias before the attack, according to the suit.

On other occasions, the suit continues, African American workers were subjected to degrading racial epithets in radio transmissions at the ports. The suit also charges that blacks have been discriminated against in job assignments, promotions, training and pay.

By contrast, it says, whites and Latinos are often given credit for working in a higher job classification than African Americans doing the same job.

It contends that whites and Latinos receive training that is denied blacks to prepare them for promotion to better-paying jobs.

On the issue of gender discrimination, the suit says that women are often called offensive names by co-workers and supervisors.

In addition to seeking an injunction against any discrimination, the suit calls for reform of work rules at the ports and the creation of a fund to compensate African American workers for lost promotional opportunities and wages.