Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber on Dec. 12 announced that a two-year
dispute over specific work at the Port of Portland’s Terminal 6 has been
resolved. The job of plugging in and unplugging refrigerated ships at the
terminal is being assigned to International Longshore and Warehouse Union
workers.
Historically the work, which involves plugging/unplugging
and monitoring refrigerated containers at the terminal, had been performed by
another union – the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers – since the
early 1970s.
When the port transitioned control of terminal operations to
ICTSI Oregon in 2011 under a 25-year lease, continuation of the IBEW work was
included in the lease terms. However, the ILWU intervened, saying that its
contract with the Pacific Maritime Association required the terminal operator
to hire longshore workers.
The dispute led to work slowdowns by the ILWU in 2012, which
in turn led to legal action by the port and National Labor Relations Board and
an ILWU countersuit.
But according to Gov. Kitzhaber’s office, the Port of
Portland and IBEW 48 have agreed to terms in transitioning the work from
representation by IBEW Local 48 to workers represented by ILWU. Longshore union
workers will perform the plugging and unplugging reefer ships as soon as the port’s
able to contract with an ILWU employer for the work.
The agreement, however, neither impacts nor addresses the
ongoing legal disputes between ILWU, ICTSI Oregon, the Pacific Maritime
Association and the Port of Portland. The agreement settles the work assignment
conflict “on a go-forward basis only,” according to the governor’s office.
However, as part of the agreement, the Port of Portland has
said that no IBEW 48 members will lose work as a result, and that the
electricians will be assigned other port-related duties. The port has also
promised that future port-owned facilities would be serviced by Local 48, and
the port and IBEW 48 will enter into a new apprenticeship arrangement to
address the port’s long-term needs for skilled electricians.
The port currently employs about 60 Local 48 electricians,
many of whom are approaching retirement age.
The Port of Portland’s also required provide weekly reports
to the governor’s office regarding Terminal 6 productivity. The governor and
his staff are to review the reports and intervene if needed, to maintain and
improve terminal productivity.
“On behalf of the Port and the larger community of shippers
and others who are concerned about the future of Terminal 6 and the vital role
it plays in our regional economy, I want to thank the Governor for his
leadership on this issue – it has been pivotal,” Port of Portland Executive
Director Bill Wyatt said. “This doesn’t end all aspects of this dispute, but
hopefully it is the beginning of the end.”