Thousands of Teamsters Rally Against Dubai World Ports Deal

WASHINGTON, Feb. 24 /PRNewswire/ -- Thousands of Teamsters rallied today at 19 American ports, decrying the Bush Administration's decision to sell access to P&O Ports' U.S. terminal operations to Dubai Ports World. The largest transportation union in the United States, the Teamsters Union represents thousands of members who work in and around our nation's ports.

"We will not stand by and allow our homeland security to be compromised," said James P. Hoffa, Teamsters Union General President. "This is a bad deal for workers and a bad deal for the security of America's ports."

Rallies took place at noon, local times, at the following ports: Baltimore, Maryland; Boston, Massachusetts; Charleston, South Carolina; Chicago, Illinois; Detroit, Michigan; Houston, Texas; Los Angeles, California; Miami, Florida; New Bedford, Massachusetts; New Orleans, Louisiana; Norfolk, Virginia; Oakland, California; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Port Hueneemee, California; Portland, Oregon; Savannah, Georgia; Seattle, Washington; and Wilmington, Delaware

An additional rally, to be attended by Sen. Bob Menendez (Dem.-N.J.), is scheduled for 10 a.m. on Monday, February 27 at Port Newark in New Jersey.

"This deal puts our ports under the control of a country that has served as a conduit for terrorist activity," Hoffa said. "At a time when we should be beefing up security at our ports, this transaction would make our port gateways even more exposed and at a greater risk of infiltration by those that would cause harm to the United States. The United States does not have to go down this dangerous path."

Founded in 1903, the Teamsters Union represents more than 1.4 million hardworking men and women in the United States and Canada.