Video: May Day protests may cause major disruption in Seattle

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SEATTLE – May Day rallies are expected to draw thousands of protestors Thursday, and on the Seattle waterfront, longshoremen may join in.

KING 5 got late word Wednesday that longshoremen up and down the West Coast may not show up for work Thursday to protest the Iraq War.

So far, the local longshoremen's union has declined to comment about a possible walkout. In fact, a union arbitrator has warned them that such a walkout violates union contract and is illegal, but Thursday is May Day when workers traditionally celebrate the labor movement.

Three separate marches are scheduled for Thursday which could cause major traffic delays – two during the noon hour, and the biggest one is expected to shut down traffic in downtown Seattle for almost 2 hours during the evening commute.

Starting at 4 p.m., it runs from Judkins Park on the north side of I-90 and makes its way down 4th Avenue to the Seattle Center, ending at about 6:30 p.m.

Metro warned bus riders to prepare for a major disruption.

Arbitrator steps in to avoid West Coast port slowdown

An arbitrator has ordered the union that represents dockworkers at West Coast ports to tell members they must report to work on Thursday and not take the day off to protest U.S. military involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan.

A wide enough walkout could cause a slowdown at the West Coast ports - the nation's major gateway for cargo from the Far East.

Arbitrator John Kagel issued his decision Wednesday after holding a hearing by phone with the employers' group, the Pacific Maritime Association, and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union, according to a document outlining the ruling.

The union previously asked employers to clear the way for members to skip out on the day shift to protest the war, but employers refused the request and were backed by the arbitrator last week.

Despite that decision, word continued to spread on the Internet of a May 1 walkout by longshore workers and details of protests, including a march in San Francisco. Thursday is May Day, when workers traditionally celebrate the labor movement.

Employers went back to the arbitrator on Wednesday, armed with accounts of dockworkers in San Francisco, Seattle and other ports telling supervisors that they would not be showing up to work.

Details of May Day marches

Three separate May Day marches are scheduled for Thursday, May 1. The events will likely cause traffic disruptions for travelers near the march routes. The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) recommends that commuters plan accordingly and seek alternative routes and means of transportation to avoid travel delays.

Two coordinated anti-war, pro-worker parades will begin at 12:30 p.m. and will march to Pier 66. The first group, estimated at 500 to 2,000 marchers, will gather at Jack Perry Park, just south of S Massachusetts Street, for the "May Day March & Rally." They will march north on E Marginal Way to Alaskan Way, and will hold a rally at the Port of Seattle's Pier 66.  

The second group, of roughly 300 students, will assemble at Seattle Central Community College on Broadway at Pine for the "Student March in Support of May 1st." They will travel south on Broadway to Madison Street; west on Madison to Alaskan Way; and finally north on Alaskan Way to Pier 66.  Depending upon the size of the crowd, lanes southbound on Alaskan Way could be blocked at Pier 66.  

Occurring from 4:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., the "9th Annual May Day Rally & March" will involve over 3,000 participants and is likely to impact the afternoon commute. The march will move from Judkins Park (on the north side of  I-90 just east of the Mount Baker Tunnel), west on South Nye Place to 20th Avenue South; north on 20th to South Jackson Street; west on Jackson to 4th Avenue South; and north on 4th Avenue to the Seattle Center.  

Metro Transit expects that all bus service, especially in downtown and lower Queen Anne, will be impacted from 4:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., with potential delays of up to an hour or more. To avoid delays, passengers are encouraged to utilize bus lines that service downtown via the Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel.