West Coast Port Operators to Halt Vessel Loading, Unloading
West Coast port operators will halt vessel loading and unloading this weekend, the latest sign that the long-running labor contract strife there is intensifying.
The Pacific Maritime Association, which has been negotiating with the International Longshore and Warehouse Union for almost nine months, announced the suspension of vessel loading and unloading late Friday.
The statement also said that yard, rail and gate operations would continue “at terminal operators’ discretion” and that vessel operations would resume on Monday.
The move came two days after PMA’s President James McKenna said the group’s members could lock union workers out next week. The union, which said a deal is nearly complete, said such a step would be “reckless and irresponsible.”
“PMA member companies finally have concluded that they will no longer continue to pay workers premium pay for diminished productivity,” management's statement said.
Management claims productivity has been cut by about half, leading to a backup of several dozen ships outside West Coast port terminals.
“The PMA is playing a dangerous and unnecessary game of brinkmanship by idling vessels for two days in a not-too-disguised effort to intimidate the ILWU membership,” said ILWU spokeswoman Jennifer Sargent.
As the newest step was announced, PMA’s latest five-year contract offer, including a 3% wage and 11% pension hike, still appeared to be under discussion. The union hasn’t responded specifically to that offer, which was made on Tuesday, though its statements earlier this week have said there are just a few remaining issues that can be “easily resolved.”
The union represents about 20,000 workers at 29 ports. The parties’ six-year contract expired on July 1.
Management has accused the union of slowdowns for several months. ILWU has responded that management triggered port delays by its own actions, such as inadequate supply of chassis to move freight off the terminals.
McKenna stressed earlier this week that management preferred a settlement and didn’t want to lock workers out.
The day after his comments about slowdowns, the union sent reporters photographs of port terminals with no visible activity, suggesting that there was no current congestion on the docks.
