The Port of Portland and the union representing its 25
security officers reached a contract agreement on Nov. 24, averting a strike
that had been planned to begin hours later.
“We are very pleased that an agreement was reached,” port
Executive Director Bill Wyatt said in a prepared statement. “The port feels its
contract proposal was not only fair but generous.”
The port’s new deal with International Longshore and
Warehouse Union Local 28 covers wages, benefits and working conditions and
would expire in June of 2015. It prevents the outsourcing of jobs at two of the
port’s three marine terminals, according to the union.
“We took a stand against the outsourcing because Portland
working families can’t afford to lose any more good-paying jobs,” Angie
Dahlgren, a security officer who served as chair of her union negotiating
committee, said.
Although the parameters have been agreed to by both parties,
it is still subject to a ratification vote by the union local’s full
membership.
The agreement was reached just 12 hours before the union had
planned to launch a 6 a.m. Nov. 25 strike. Such a labor action likely would
have been an economic disaster for the port, as temporary closures of the port’s
marine terminals would have meant the turning away of any ships that had been
scheduled to pick up or drop off millions of dollars in cargo.
The escalating situation led to Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber
getting involved last week by urging the two sides to come to an agreement.
Ultimately, they were able to do so with the aid of Oregon state conciliator
Robert Nightingale, making this his last big project. Nightingale has said he
plans to retire at the end of 2012 at the age of 66.
