Cargo Business Newswire

Tuesday, December 23, 2014

PMA and ILWU continue struggle to come to terms on new contract

The Pacific Maritime Association and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union are still struggling to come to a compromise on a new labor contract for West Coast dockworkers.

The two sides met separately last Wednesday, two days after the union provided employers a counter-offer to a new set of management proposals delivered by the PMA last week.

"We are awaiting their reply, and perhaps they will have a response to all or part of our proposal" when talks resume, said union spokesman Craig Merrilees.

At the beginning of last week, 90 union delegates from all 29 West Coast ports met in San Francisco, voting unanimously to endorse their negotiating team. Both sides had said before the union caucus that they were making slow progress.

On Wednesday the PMA issued a short statement denying any "statements and rumors that our negotiations are 'close' to a final contract."

The employers have repeatedly accused the union of trying to gain bargaining leverage by staging cargo slowdowns at several West Coast ports since October, especially at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. Union officials deny this, saying the congestion is due to a shortage of chassis, the increased cargo volume of super-sized ships, and rail delays.

Port officials have agreed that record import levels, rail service delays and the advent of super-sized container vessels contribute to the cargo backups.

For more of the Reuters story: www.reuters.com

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