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CALL: 1-800-284-7822
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Jul 29,2008
West Coast Ports Reach New Labor Agreement
It what can only be termed exciting news for shippers and importers the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) and the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA) late Monday announced a preliminary agreement on terms for a new contract which will cover more than 25,000 dockworkers at 29 West Coast ports through 2014. The ILWU in a news release at 10:41 p.m. ET said leaders from both sides shook hands in San Francisco over the proposed agreement.
The announcement quoted ILWU President Bob McEllrath and PMA President Jim McKenna as saying that the proposed agreement meets the needs of both workers and the industry. “It allows West Coast ports to be competitive and provides the good jobs that workers and communities need,” they stated. The parties have agreed not to discuss details of the agreement until the ILWU and PMA leadership teams have communicated with their respective membership, although both sides said last month that they had crossed a significant hurdle by reaching an agreement on healthcare costs. They continued to haggle over productivity issues, meeting over the weekend in marathon negotiations in San Francisco. Both sides were keenly aware of the sinking U.S. economy and the fallout from the work stoppage during the 2002 contract negotiations.
It may be several days before terms of the contract agreement are known. PMA negotiators have to clear the deal with their 71 member companies, which include Maersk Inc. of Copenhagen, Evergreen Marine Corp. of Taiwan and SSA Terminals of Seattle. For the union, the proposed agreement first goes to the Longshore Caucus -- 100 union officials elected by rank-and-file members. If the Longshore Caucus approves the deal, it then goes to the full union membership for a vote.
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