Workers Independent News: Conservatives using Gulf Oil spill to attack maratime unions

07/06/10
Submitted by Doug Cunningham on July 5, 2010 - 3:39pm

 George W. Bush on the Jones Act

In a tactic reminiscent of the “shock doctrine” use of a crisis to achieve a long-held political/economic agenda, the right wing is using the gulf oil crisis to attack the Jones Act.

The Jones Act is a maritime law that requires ships operating between U.S. domestic ports to be crewed, built and flagged American.

In a campaign attacking the Jones Act and U.S. maritime unions right-wingers in the Republican Party and on talk radio are claiming that the Jones Act is hurting the Gulf clean-up efforts.

According to FactCheck.org the Jones Act “has yet to be an issue in the response efforts” in the Gulf. Contrary to some right-wing claims, foreign ships are working to help clean oil from the Gulf and no foreign assistance has been refused due to the Jones Act.

Republican U.S. Senator John McCain has introduced legislation to repeal the Jones Act. AFL-CIO Transportation Trades Department President Ed Wytkind says repealing the Jones Act would wipe out hundreds of thousands of good U.S. jobs in martitime, longshore and ship building.

McCain is helping fellow Republicans block the jobs bill in Congress while sponsoring new legislation that would destroy more U.S. jobs.

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