Looking out the window of my home office, I can see a couple of cruise ships along the waterfront, a containership making its way under the bridge to WBCT, and another offloading at Evergreen. Where some folks just see ships, I see economic activity, opportunities, and jobs that feed our community.
I have a constant reminder of what the Port of Los Angeles means to San Pedro. It is the number one job creator and a source of pride for local families who helped build the port into what it is today.
Last week, crane 7 came down at Evergreen. It was especially painful to see because it was a crane my father-in-law, Frank Gasperov, used to drive when he was a longshoreman for almost 45 years. He recently passed, and it was one of my daily connections with him as I looked out this window.
A friend salvaged the stick before this old crane was demolished. I’m looking at it now and thinking about all the drivers who used it. Even more, it’s a reminder of how many families have prospered because of the women and men of the ILWU.
The operating stick from Evergreen’s crane 7. (photo: Lee Williams)
Every job created at the Port of Los Angeles is an opportunity for a better quality of life. With the middle class gradually shrinking, it’s crucial to have livable wage jobs that can provide for individuals and families to strengthen our community.
These important jobs provide for our local businesses and restaurants. John Bagakis of Big Nick’s Pizza can donate to so many local charities because of the business he gets delivering to Terminal Island and around town during lunch hour. The Boys and Girls Clubs of the Los Angeles Harbor benefits from a fundraising lunch organized by the ILWU and PMA, and even more of our local charities, from Pedro Pet Pals to Maria’s Closet, benefit from the individual donations made by our longshore workers.
There is an increased level of community pride from folks who live, work, and play here. City of Los Angeles jobs are available on the port website (portoflosangeles.org/about/employment) with opportunities for targeted local hire, paid internships, student worker programs, and career paths that present bright futures. Many of these are union jobs with great pay and benefits you can actually live on.
Why am I so focused on jobs? Because as a harbor commissioner for the Port of Los Angeles, I am keenly aware of the economic benefit these jobs provide for our community. Port workers spend their money locally; equally important is the time they donate to the organizations that improve our community.
Many volunteer as coaches at our schools, support our arts, theatre, and dance organizations, and participate in cleanups at Cabrillo Beach. They care about what happens in San Pedro. Many bring a trash bag to keep UTRs clean for their brothers and sisters, some join Paddle Out Plastic on Saturday mornings cleaning within the breakwater, and many sweep in front of their homes to keep trash from going down storm drains. That’s local pride.
Phillips 66 recently announced the closure of their refinery at the end of 2025. This is going to hurt our community immensely when it comes to jobs. There are about 600 union and 300 contractor jobs that will be impacted.
We all celebrate the environmental gains we’ll see in transitioning this property to a much cleaner operation, but it will take time to figure out a future use and a decade to make it happen. My heart goes out to those affected, and I remain committed to the various training efforts at the port in the clean energy sector and elsewhere. Every local job is one worth fighting for. spt
