West Coast Longshoremen Seek Direct Talks With Shippers
West Coast dockworkers asked that major employers on the board of the Pacific Maritime Association join in contract negotiations that have stretched over seven months.
The board of the association, which represents shippers, stevedores and terminal operators at 29 ports, is needed at the bargaining table “so that direct and constructive dialog between key decision-makers can take place,” Robert McEllrath, president of the International Longshore & Warehouse Union, said in a statement.
Ports from San Diego to Bellingham, Washington, handle about half of all U.S. imports. Negotiations, which began in May, have gone on the longest since at least the 1990s. About 20,000 longshoremen have worked without a contract since a six-year agreement expired July 1. Some began slowdowns and other disruptions in late October, according to the maritime association.
The association is represented at the talks by CEO James McKenna. PMA, in a response to the union, said federal mediation is needed to resolve “significant issues,” including wages, pensions, jurisdiction and work rules.
The sides announced a provisional deal on health-care expenses in late August, without disclosing terms. Another issue is how to retrain and preserve jobs for dockworkers as automation reduces the number of positions.
