Longshore Training Program Slated for San Pedro Bay

By Karen Robes Meeks

The International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) Local 13 and the Pacific Maritime Association (APM) have agreed to establish a workforce training program at the San Pedro Bay complex. A Blue Ribbon Commission was instituted to study and weigh in on the future of work at the Port of Los Angeles.

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, who announced the agreements earlier this month, had been involved in talks between the two parties since April. The agreement comes after many months of negotiations over the automation of Pier 400, the port’s largest terminal.

“In Los Angeles, we know that if we don't guide the future, workers and communities can be left behind,” Garcetti said. “This workforce training program will ensure today’s waterfront workers are equipped for tomorrow’s jobs and continue to support the harbor community. I will never stop fighting to preserve good, middle-class jobs and protect the hardworking women and men who power our economy – and today’s agreement is a start, and not an end, to our work.”

The creation of the workforce training program will help boost the skillset of up to 900 registered longshore workers and mechanics. The agreement between the ILWU and APM Terminals “calls for the ILWU mechanics to begin familiarization and training of the new APM equipment in the coming weeks as it begins a modernization project on its terminal.”

Meanwhile, APM Terminals will postpone additional automated-related projects until at least July 1, 2022, according to the port. Los Angeles Councilman Joe Buscaino, whose district encompasses the port and San Pedro, proposed the Blue Ribbon Commission, which intends to look at the automation issue and future work at the port. The commission will make recommendations to the City Council.

“This agreement calls for a comprehensive, fully-paid training program to re-skill and up-skill longshore workers to equip them for the next generation of work on the waterfront,” said Pacific Maritime Association CEO Jim McKenna. “This will help longshore workers prepare for the port jobs of the future.”

Port of Los Angeles Sets July Box Record

By Karen Robes Meeks

The Port of Los Angeles posted the busiest July in its history, moving 796,804 TEUs last month, according to statistics released by the port Thursday.

This represents a 16 percent jump from the same period last year, when the port moved 687,891 TEUs. It also surpassed the 761,326 TEUs established back in July 2006, thus breaking the previous record. The port also handled 417,090 imported TEUs , a 13 percent spike from July 2016, and moved 154,925 TEUs in exports, a 17 percent increase over last year.

“As we strive to maintain our competitive edge with these record volumes, it’s important to acknowledge the Pacific Maritime Association and the good men and women of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union who just extended their contract with terminal operators until 2022,” said port Executive Director Gene Seroka. “The certainty that comes from this decision builds further long-term confidence in our supply chain as we continue to focus on superior infrastructure, innovative leadership and extraordinary customer service.”

The port is on its way to exceed last year’s record of 8.8 million TEUs, as cargo volumes are currently up 9.5 percent thus far.

Longshoremen Agree to Extension

By Karen Robes Meeks

West Coast dockworkers have formally agreed to extend their contract three more years, guaranteeing a stable labor force as peak season is underway.

The International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU), which represents roughly 20,000 workers at 29 ports in California, Oregon and Washington, ratified its contract extension with the Pacific Maritime Association.

About 67 percent of ILWU members voted to extend the contract from 2019 to 2022, according to the ILWU’s Coast Balloting Committee, which announced Friday that the vote took place.

The prolonged contract includes increased wages and pensions and maintains health benefits, according to the union. “The rank-and-file membership has made their decision and expressed a clear choice,” said ILWU International President Robert McEllrath. “During the past year we saw a healthy debate and heard different points of view, with concerns raised by all sides. The democratic process allowed us to make a difficult decision and arrive at the best choice under the circumstances.”

Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka applauded the ratification.

“The International Longshore and Warehouse Union’s vote to extend their contract by three years helps sustain the momentum building in our supply chain as we continue to focus on delivering innovation, value and efficiency for the US importers and exporters,” Seroka said. “The certainty that comes with this contract extension is great news for all of Southern California, where one in nine jobs in the five-county region are connected to the San Pedro Bay port complex.”

The extension gives the supply chain confidence that contract disputes won’t distract from the business of the moving cargo. “This shows that the West Coast means business when it comes to moving cargo for our customers,” said Port of Oakland Executive Director Chris Lytle, who released a statement when it appeared that the extension would likely happen. “We’re the most efficient, timely and cost-effective gateway for international trade and with a contract extension, we’re also the most dependable.”

PMA, ILWU Meet Regarding Contract Extension

By Mark Edward Nero

Representatives with the Pacific Maritime Association and International Longshore & Warehouse Union met Nov. 1 in San Francisco for the first of what could be a series of meetings regarding a possible contract extension, both sides have confirmed.

Both parties also say that they’ve agreed to resume talks on an extension at a future date to be mutually agreed upon.

Any extension would be to the 2014-2019 collective bargaining agreement between the two sides that was ratified in May 2015. The agreement, which was announced in February of last year, came together after nine months of occasionally contentious talks between the union and management.

Negotiations didn’t begin until weeks before the contract’s July 1, 2014 expiration and dragged on before an agreement was eventually hammered out.

The current contract, which was made retroactive to July 1, 2014, runs through June 30, 2019.

The early start to these contract talks came at the behest of the employer group, which earlier this year made the initial request to discuss the possibility of an extension to the 2014-2019 collective bargaining agreement. In August, more than 100 union delegates representing ports from San Diego to Bellingham, Washington convened to consider and approve the request.

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PMA and ILWU Set Date for Contract Talks

By Mark Edward Nero

The Pacific Maritime Association and International Longshore and Warehouse Union said in late September that they’ve agreed to discuss the concept of a contract extension less than halfway into the current five-year contract.

The talks have been tentatively scheduled for Nov. 1 and 2.

“No additional comments from either party will be made prior to the talks. Following the talks, a statement may be issued,” both sides said in a Sept. 27 joint statement.

The early start to talks would be a significant change from the last time the two sides negotiated a contract.

Talks in 2014 didn’t begin until a few weeks before the contract’s expiration, and then, as talks dragged on for nine months, the contract expired and remained that way for several months, until an agreement was finally reached in the first quarter of 2015.

It was the PMA employer group that made the initial request this past summer to discuss the possibility of an extension to the 2014-2019 collective bargaining agreement. After the request was made, more than 100 union delegates representing ports from San Diego to Bellingham, Washington convened in August to consider and eventually approve the request.

With the consent given, union leadership will now meet with the PMA next month, then report the initial results back to membership.

“This is a directive to go and have discussions with the PMA and report back to the membership, and we’ll do just that, with the wellbeing of the rank and file, our communities, and the nation in mind,” ILWU International President Robert McEllrath said after the August vote.

The current contract, which covers labor at 29 West Coast ports, doesn’t expire until July 1, 2019.

ILWU, PMA Entering Early Contract Negotiations

By Mark Edward Nero

By majority vote on Aug. 11, more than 100 delegates representing International Longshore and Warehouse Union members at ports along the US West Coast voted to enter into discussions with representatives of the Pacific Maritime Association regarding a contract extension.

The extension would be to the 2014-2019 collective bargaining agreement between the ILWU and PMA that was ratified in May 2015. The agreement, which was announced in February of last year, came together after nine months of occasionally contentious talks between the union and management.

The current contract, which was made retroactive to July 1, 2014, runs through June 30, 2019.

It was the employer group that made the initial request to discuss the possibility of an extension to the 2014-2019 collective bargaining agreement. The more than 100 delegates representing ports from San Diego to Bellingham, Washington convened last week to consider and approve the request.

With the consent, union leadership will now meet with the PMA and report the initial results back to membership. “The caucus made a tough decision under current circumstances amid a wide range of concerns and opposing views on how to respond to PMA’s request,” ILWU International President Robert McEllrath said in a statement. “This is a directive to go and have discussions with the PMA and report back to the membership, and we’ll do just that, with the wellbeing of the rank and file, our communities, and the nation in mind.”

Negotiations regarding the previous contract extension didn’t begin until weeks before the contract’s July 1, 2014 expiration and dragged on several months before an agreement was eventually hammered out.

PMA, ILWU Ratify Labor Contract

By Mark Edward Nero

Three months after a tentative agreement was reached, the Pacific Maritime Association and International Longshore & Warehouse Union have each finally ratified a new five-year contract.

82 percent of ILWU members voted in favor of approving the new agreement, the union said May 22. The previous contract was ratified in 2008 with a vote of 75 percent in favor.

The voting results were certified by the ILWU’s Coast Balloting Committee, which was chosen by Coast Longshore Caucus delegates elected from each of the 29 West Coast ports.

The agreement, which was announced in February, came together after nine months of occasionally contentious talks.

“The negotiations for this contract were some of the longest and most difficult in our recent history,” ILWU International President Robert McEllrath said.

The contract, which is retroactive to July 1, 2014, runs through June 30, 2019. It was also approved earlier this month by most of the 71 companies that make up the PMA.

Neither side has provided many details on the agreement, but according to the ILWU, the contract protects about 20,000 jobs in West Coast port communities, maintains health benefits, improves wages, pensions and job safety protections; limits job outsourcing, and provides an improved job dispute resolution system.

“This contract provides an important framework for the hard work ahead to overcome new competitive challenges and to continue to position the West Coast ports as destinations of choice for shippers worldwide,” PMA President and CEO Jim McKenna said. “From San Diego to Bellingham, these ports have long been the primary gateways for cargo coming into and leaving the United States, and our interests are aligned in ensuring they can effectively, and efficiently, handle the capacity growth that drives economies and jobs.”

Labor Dispute Closes Oakland’s SSA Terminal

By Mark Edward Nero

Just days after the Port of Oakland declared that it was making significant progress on clearing a cargo backlog that built up during months of labor unrest, operations at a container terminal came to a halt on March 11 due to labor issues.

According to the port and the International Longshore & Warehouse Union, yard and gate operations at Oakland International Container Terminal, which is operated by SSA Terminals, were ceased around 10:30 am Wednesday morning due to a dispute.

SSA Terminals said that it has dismissed longshore workers after they refused to work due to a dispute over staffing levels. The ILWU claims that 45 dockworkers were fired and sent home.

In a statement issued on SSA’s behalf, the Pacific Maritime Association said the incident was caused by the ILWU local refusing to adhere to standard operating protocol.

“The terminal in question follows standard industry practice of hiring two workers for every yard crane – the same as at every other terminal at the port,” the statement reads in part. “Yet, ILWU Local 10 is refusing to allow yard cranes to operate unless that number is increased to three.”

The PMA’s statement also says that the three-person demand was something that Local 10 made, but then dropped during the nine months of negotiations between the union and PMA that ended in February with a tentative five-year contract for workers and management at 29 West Coast seaports.

The Maritime Association claims Local 10 has also refused to allow longshore utility workers to lock and unlock connecting devices between chassis and containers, something that the PMA calls a “longstanding practice at every terminal in the port.”

All marine terminals were open and active as of 8 am on March 12, according to the port.

On March 6, the Port of Oakland touted its success in reducing a cargo backlog caused in part by the nine months of labor unrest, saying that signs of progress included a declining vessel backup; decongested terminals; improved transaction times; and better terminal productivity.

Oakland: Port Gaining on Cargo Backlog

By Mark Edward Nero

The Port of Oakland says that efforts to eliminate a cargo backlog are meeting with success, with signs of such including a declining vessel backup; decongested terminals; improved transaction times; and better terminal productivity.

The operational update is Oakland’s first since the tentative approval of a new West Coast waterfront labor contract on Feb. 20. The cargo backup, which should clear within two months, according to the port, is a byproduct of nine months of labor negotiations between the International Longshore & Warehouse Union and the Pacific Maritime Association, which represents terminal operators.

According to the Port of Oakland’s status report:

As of March 6, five ships were anchored in San Francisco Bay or navigating outside the Golden Gate Bridge awaiting berths at the port, down from a high of 20 vessels in mid-February. The vessel logjam is expected to disappear within 10 days.

Also, marine terminals that were overflowing with import cargo awaiting pick-up have cleared out the backlog. The port says its two largest terminals are operating at 50-to-60 percent of container yard capacity and have room to handle more volume.

The port also says that marine terminals have cleared out the backlog of imports that had been stranded in container yards, and that as they’re discharged from ships, imports are available for immediate pick-up, which is in stark contrast to previous months when cargo owners waited weeks to collect loaded containers.

However, there is still a delay in discharging imports that are stowed on ships at anchor: those containers can be held up several days while vessels await berths. The condition is expected to clear up within weeks as the vessel backlog disappears.

Some labor shortages in vessel operations are being reported at Oakland and other West Coast ports, which Oakland attributes to extraordinary demand created by the vessel backup. On average, 10 ships a day are being loaded and unloaded in Oakland. Typically that number would be three to five ships.

The gantry cranes that load and unload ships are moving 25-to-30 containers per hour, near Oakland’s historic average of 30-to-35 moves. Vessels that are normally worked in one day still require several days for loading and unloading, according to Oakland, but the port says the turnaround time has dropped significantly in the past two weeks.

“There’s still a great deal of work to do,” Oakland Maritime Director John Driscoll said. “But we’re seeing good collaboration between labor, terminal operators and harbor truckers.”

PMA, ILWU Reach Contract Agreement

By Mark Edward Nero

After nine months of sometimes-contentious talks, the Pacific Maritime Association and International Longshore & Warehouse Union have agreed in principle to the terms of a five-year contract, the two sides said Feb. 20.

“We are pleased to have reached an agreement that is good for workers and for the industry,” said PMA President James McKenna and ILWU President Bob McEllrath in a joint statement. “We are also pleased that our ports can now resume full operations.”

During the first month of 2015, most of the West Coast’s major seaports reported that cargo volumes were down significantly compared to the same month the previous year, with most blaming the decline in productivity on the ongoing labor negotiations.

The new five-year contract covers tens of thousands of longshore workers at all 29 West Coast ports. The deal was reached with assistance from US Secretary of Labor Tom Perez, who joined negotiations early last week, and Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service Deputy Director Scot Beckenbaugh, who joined negotiations in January after the two sides had been talking for eight months with no sign of a deal apparent.

The previous six-year deal expired July 1, 2014.

The new contract is subject to ratification by both the union rank and file and well as the PMA; both sides have said they are not yet prepared to publicly release details of the agreement.

News of the deal was greeted with a sigh of relief by leaders at major West Coast ports, which had seen productivity decline as negotiations became more contemptuous.

“This will go a long way toward helping to move cargo efficiently through the nation’s busiest container port, Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka said. “More than ever, we need labor and management working together with all our stakeholders to solve today’s industry challenges.”

“We thank the ILWU and PMA and look forward to everyone getting back to business as usual starting immediately,” Port of Long Beach Chief Executive Jon Slangerup said. “We know that the marine terminal operators, longshore workers, truckers, railroads and others will be extremely busy as they work to clear out the massive backlog of cargo at all of the West Coast ports, including Long Beach. All of us will be working together to make this happen as soon as possible, but once again, we are extremely pleased with today’s news.”

At the Port of Oakland, officials said that it could take six to eight weeks for it and other West Coast ports to recover from the cargo backlog that built up during the dispute.

“Cargo movement should improve soon, but it will take time to restore full productivity,” the port said in a prepared statement.

PMA Shutting Terminal Ops for 4 Days

By Mark Edward Nero

The Pacific Maritime Association is suspending vessel operations at port cargo terminals for four days, beginning Feb. 12, with the explanation being that it didn’t want to give weekend and holiday pay to longshore workers during President’s Day weekend.

Weekend and holiday pay rates command a premium of at least 50 percent more than the basic longshore wage rate, according to the PMA, which would mean those working those days would have received between $54 and $75 per hour for longshore workers and clerks and between $77 and $92 per hour for foremen.

“PMA members have concluded that they will not conduct vessel operations on those dates, paying full shifts of ILWU workers such high rates for severely diminished productivity while the backlog of cargo at West Coast ports grows,” the association, which represents terminal operators, said in a Feb. 11 statement.

The four dates affected by the suspension of vessel operations are: Thurs. Feb. 12 (Lincoln’s Birthday); Sat., Feb. 14; Sun., Feb. 15; and Mon., Feb. 16 (Washington’s Birthday). However, yard, gate and rail operations are expected to continue at the terminal operators’ discretion as they did the previous weekend when the PMA also temporarily halted vessel operations as part of the ongoing dispute.

“This is an effort by the employers to put economic pressure on our members and to gain leverage in contract talks,” ILWU President Robert McEllrath said of the four-day lockout.

The maritime association and labor union have been locked in contract talks since May 2014 and the previous six-year deal expired July 1. And although a federal arbitrator joined the talks in January, a final resolution does not appear to be near.

On Feb. 4, the PMA revealed it had made the union an offer that would raise ILWU wages by 14 percent over five years, on top of current average full-time wages of $147,000 per year and would maintain fully employer-paid health care, plus increase the ILWU pension to as much as $88,800 per year. The ILWU, while not commenting on specifics on the contract offer, has said the two sides are close to an agreement.

Weekend Lockout Halts West Coast Port Operations

By Mark Edward Nero

Work at seaports along the West Coast resumed on Monday after the group that represents terminal operators and shipping lines instituted a two-day stoppage by that halted operations last weekend.

The action was taken, according to the Pacific Maritime Association, in response to an ongoing work slowdown at the ports by the International Longshore & Warehouse Union that allegedly began in late October.

“After three months of union slowdowns, it makes no sense to pay extra for less work,” PMA spokesman Wade Gates said in a prepared statement. “Especially if there is no end in sight to the union’s actions, which needlessly brought West Coast ports to the brink of gridlock.”

Last weekend vessel loading and unloading were halted, but each terminal operator had the discretion of whether to continue yard, rail and gate operations such as the processing of containers for truck and rail delivery to customers. The ILWU has repeatedly denied the slowdown allegations, instead blaming port congestion issues on larger vessels bringing in an ever-increasing number of containers, plus a shortage of the chassis’ used to haul the containers to and from the port terminals.

In a Feb. 9 statement, the union expressed a desire to reach a deal with the PMA.

“West Coast ports re-opened Monday morning after employers closed the docks for two days, increasing delays for customers needing containers,” the ILWU said in a Feb. 9 statement. “The union remains focused on reaching a settlement as quickly as possible.”

Talks to resolve the few remaining issues between the Longshore Union and Pacific Maritime Association are “ongoing,” according to the ILWU.

The PMA and ILWU have been in negotiations since May 2014. The previous six-year labor pact between the two sides, which covered almost 20,000 longshore workers at 29 ports up and down the West Coast, expired last July 1.

The PMA warned the union on Feb. 4 that it could impose a full lockout within 10 days if no contract agreement is reached by then.

PMA Threatens Lockout, ILWU Says Deal Close

By Mark Edward Nero

The International Longshore & Warehouse Union says that a deal with the Pacific Maritime Association on a new labor contract is “imminent” and urged the PMA to not walk away from negotiations and impose a lockout as the employers’ group has said it might do within a week.

“We’re this close,” ILWU President Robert McEllrath said of negotiations. “We’ve dropped almost all of our remaining issues to help get this settled – and the few issues that remain can be easily resolved.”

“Closing the ports at this point would be reckless and irresponsible,” McEllrath said, stating that if the PMA closes the ports, “the public will suffer and corporate greed will prevail.”

The statement was a response to an “all-in” contract offer made by the PMA on Feb. 4 that suggested that the employers group could lock workers out if no deal is reached in the next five to 10 days.

According to the PMA’s latest contract offer, full-time ILWU workers would see their wages rise roughly three percent per year under the proposed five-year contract. The proposal also includes a provision allowing dockworkers to keep their current fully paid health care, which the employers’ group says costs employers $35,000 per worker per year.

Also, the PMA says, the maximum ILWU pension would rise to $88,800 per year.

“I hope the ILWU leadership will give very serious consideration to this contract offer, which I believe respects their members and gives us a clear path to conclude these talks,” PMA President Jim McKenna said. “We owe it to workers and businesses across the nation to resolve our differences and get our ports moving again.”

The PMA and ILWU have been engaged in contract negotiations since May. The previous six-year labor pact between the two sides, which covered almost 20,000 longshore workers at 29 ports up and down the West Coast, expired at 5 pm on July 1, 2014.

The PMA and union have already come to an agreement on some key issues, including jurisdiction over maintenance and repair of the truck chassis used to haul containerized goods to and from cargo terminals, the two sides remain apart on other issues, including wages and health & benefits.

PMA, ILWU Reach Chassis Deal

By Mark Edward Nero

The Pacific Maritime Association and International Longshore & Warehouse Union, which have been locked in negotiations on a new six-year contract for nearly nine months, have come to an agreement on a major issue: jurisdiction over chassis maintenance and repair, the PMA revealed this week.

The agreement is believed to cover the maintenance, repair and inspection of the chassis’ used by trucks to haul cargo containers to and from terminals. Jurisdiction of them became an issue after ocean carriers stopped providing their own chassis, which forced the intermodal industry to utilize chassis pools and chassis leasing companies that aren’t part of the PMA.

“A tentative agreement was reached on the chassis topic, and we are hopeful that this will allow us to move toward conclusion of a full agreement in the near term,” the PMA said in a Jan. 27 statement, without disclosing exact details regarding the arrangement. The ILWU later confirmed the news.

This is only the second major issue that the two sides have come to an agreement on since last May: in August the PMA and ILWU released a joint statement announcing they had reached a tentative agreement on health benefits for workers.

The two sides are still negotiating other contract issues, including wages and pensions, but both say they’ve agreed not to discuss the terms of the tentative agreements while negotiations continue. The previous six-year labor pact, which covered almost 20,000 longshore workers at 29 ports up and down the West Coast, expired at 5 pm on July 1, 2014.

San Pedro Bay Dockworkers Protest Labor Cutbacks

By Mark Edward Nero

Thousands of dockworkers from the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach and their supporters held a march and rally on Jan. 22 to protest the suspension of night shifts at the ports by the Pacific Maritime Association.

An estimated 6,000 people, led by a high school marching band, walked along Harbor Blvd. from the Vincent Thomas Bridge in San Pedro to the Maritime Museum about half a mile away around sunset. The march was organized by the office of Los Angeles City Councilman Joe Buscaino, who represents the district that includes the port.

The PMA said Jan. 12 that it would no longer assign crews to load and unload cargo ships overnight at the two ports so that they could better deal with the problem of traffic congestion that has been plaguing port terminals for several months.

The reduction in operating hours has had a negative effect on dockworkers, according to the International Longshore & Warehouse Union. More than 800 jobs have been affected, according to the ILWU.

The union blames the congestion issues on “managerial mistakes,” including a lack of dock space for containers and shortages of chassis, and says that cancelling night shifts and reducing bulk operations will do nothing to ease congestion.

On the other hand the PMA, which has been engaged in contract negotiations with the ILWU since May 2014, claims that the union has orchestrated the situation by engaging in a work slowdown.

The PMA has given no indication that it is willing to resume night shift anytime soon and neither side has indicated that contract negotiations could be wrapped up in the near future.

PMA Halts Night Ops at LA-Long Beach Complex

By Mark Edward Nero

Operations at the adjoining ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach are approaching “complete gridlock,” and crews will no longer be assigned to load and unload cargo ships overnight at the two ports, according to the Pacific Maritime Association.

The move is in response to actions set in motion by the International Longshore & Warehouse Union, the PMA said Jan. 12.

The PMA, which has been engaged in contract negotiations with the ILWU the past eight months, claims that the union has orchestrated a situation that is seriously exacerbating congestion problems at the largest ports on the West Coast.

“Since late October 2014, the ILWU has crippled what were fully productive terminals in the Pacific Northwest and Oakland, and exacerbated a difficult congestion issue at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach by intentionally withholding dozens of essential skilled workers each shift for the past 10 weeks,” the Maritime Association said in a statement.

On Jan. 5, the US Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service said it was joining the talks to help both sides reach an agreement, however the PMA says that even with federal help, talks have gone nowhere so far.

“Since the mediator joined the talks, no further agreements have been reached and ILWU work slowdowns have continued to the point where many terminals are in peril of complete gridlock,” according to the PMA.

The ILWU, however, contends that the congestion has been caused by “managerial mistakes,” including a lack of dock space for containers and shortages of chassis. The union also has criticized the cancelling night shifts and reducing bulk operations, saying it will do nothing to ease congestion.

“The PMA appears to be abusing public ports and putting the economy at risk in a self-serving attempt to gain the upper hand at the bargaining table, and create the appearance of a crisis in order to score points with politicians in Washington,” the union said in a Jan. 13 statement.

PMA-ILWU Talks Get Federal Mediation

By Mark Edward Nero

The Pacific Maritime Association and International Longshore & Warehouse Union haven’t agreed on much lately, but one thing both sides agreed with was that federal mediation was needed in their prolonged contract talks.

And on Jan. 5, the US Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service said that it had listened to both sides and was stepping in to help.

“In response to a joint request for assistance from the parties, collective bargaining between ILWU and PMA representatives will continue as soon as possible under the auspices of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service,” mediation service Acting Director Allison Beck, said in a prepared statement announcing the move. “We are prepared and ready to render prompt assistance.”

Deputy Director Scot Beckenbaugh, a senior mediator with extensive collective bargaining experience in this industry, has been assigned to help the parties bring the negotiations to a mutually acceptable resolution, according to the FMCS.

The PMA and ILWU have been in negotiations since May 2014. The previous six-year labor pact between the two sides, which covered almost 20,000 longshore workers at 29 ports up and down the West Coast, expired July 1.

Negotiations between the two sides have been contentious, with the most recent example being the PMA on Jan. 3 accusing the ILWU of engaging in a work slowdown, particularly at the LA-Long Beach port complex, in order to gain leverage in the ongoing contract talks.

The PMA said it estimates that since the end of October, the average number of shifts for qualified crane operators has dropped from an average of more than 110 per day to less than 35 daily, something that has resulted in “tens of thousands of containers available for discharge sitting on the docks at the twin ports.”

The ILWU has denied withholding labor and says the congestion issues at the Southern California ports were due to larger vessels bringing in an ever-increasing number of containers, plus a shortage of chassis’ used to haul the containers to and from the port terminals.

The FMCS says it is not releasing information regarding future PMA-ILWU meeting dates and locations, nor will it have any other comment in the near future regarding the status or substance of negotiations.

PMA Accuses ILWU of Withholding Labor

By Mark Edward Nero

The Pacific Maritime Association on Jan. 3 accused the International Longshore & Warehouse Union of engaging in a work slowdown in order to gain leverage in the ongoing contract talks between the two parties.

“The union, and Local 13 in particular, has led a sustained campaign over the last two months to withhold critically-important, skilled longshore workers from their shifts on the docks,” the PMA said in a statement that alleged that crane operators, who receive and deliver containers, were being held back.

“By withholding them, the union has negatively impacted cargo-handling operations throughout Southern California,” the PMA said while alleging that the union’s work actions started at the end of October, when contract talks began to stall.

The PMA said it estimates that the average number of shifts for qualified crane operators has dropped from an average of more than 110 per day to under 35 daily, something that has resulted in “tens of thousands of containers available for discharge sitting on the docks at the twin ports.”

Employers put in orders for the number of operators needed, and the ILWU unilaterally cut back those orders by two-thirds, the PMA claims.

“Removing qualified yard crane drivers from terminal operations is the equivalent of a football coach sending out 10 players and no quarterback. You can’t run the play effectively,” PMA spokesman Wade Gates said. “The congestion in the terminals is near a breaking point.”

The PMA says that in order to focus efforts on clearing containers from terminal yards and get them moving to their final destinations, it has been reducing the number of workers ordered to unload ships on night shifts, thereby avoiding the prospect of creating gridlock that the additional unloading of ships would create.

“It makes no sense to maintain the pace of removing containers from ships when there’s no room for them on the terminals,” Gates said. “If a parking lot were full, you would clear out empty spaces before bringing in more cars. The same rule applies here.”

“It’s not solely the number of longshoremen the union is making available that matters, it’s the type of workers themselves,” Gates said. “Without qualified yard crane drivers who play a critical role in loading and offloading cargo containers from trucks, the congestion problem is made far worse at terminal yards.”

In response, the ILWU on Jan. 3 denied that it has been withholding labor and said the congestion issues at the Southern California ports were due to larger vessels bringing in an ever-increasing number of containers, plus a shortage of chassis’ used to haul the containers to and from the port terminals.

The PMA and ILWU have been in negotiations since May 2014. The previous six-year labor pact between the two sides, which covered almost 20,000 longshore workers at 29 ports up and down the West Coast, expired July 1.

PMA Accuses ILWU of Work Slowdown

By Mark Edward Nero

The Pacific Maritime Association is accusing the International Longshore & Warehouse Union of reneging on an agreement to continue normal operations while the two sides are engaged in contract negotiations, and orchestrating work slowdowns at two Pacific Northwest seaports.

“The International Longshore & Warehouse Union has initiated orchestrated slowdowns at the Pacific Northwest ports of Seattle and Tacoma, severely impacting many of the largest terminals during the peak holiday shipping season,” the PMA wrote in a Nov. 3 news release sent to media outlets.

Seattle and Tacoma together handle an estimated 16 percent of containerized cargo on the West Coast.

The PMA, which represents more than 70 multinational ocean carriers and maritime companies, and the ILWU, which bargains for nearly 13,600 workers at 29 ports along the West Coast from Washington to California, are in the sixth month of negotiations for a new contract.

Initially, the PMA and ILWU set a July goal of reaching a new agreement, and after the previous six-year contract expired July 1, the two sides agreed to continue operations under the language of the expired deal, according to the PMA. The ILWU, however, denies this.

“This is a bold-faced lie,” the union said in its own Nov. 3 statement regarding the situation. “No such agreement was ever made, nor could it be made given the parties’ historic disagreement regarding the definition of ‘normal operations’ – a disagreement that has been the subject of arbitrations for decades.”

The PMA says it has found that the slowdowns at two Pacific Northwest ports have resulted in terminal productivity being reduced by an average of 40 to 60 percent. For example, the Association contends, terminals that typically move 25-35 containers per hour were moving only 10 to 18 containers, according to statistics compiled by PMA, which tracks historical productivity based on the number of containers moved per hour for each vessel at the same terminal.

The union contends that the PMA’s accusations are merely an attempt to deflect responsibility from a growing congestion problem at major West Coast ports and that they delay progress in negotiations.

PMA, ILWU Reach Partial Agreement

By Mark Edward Nero

Although they’re still locked in negotiations, the Pacific Maritime Association and International Longshore and Warehouse Union say they’ve reached a tentative agreement on one aspect of their contract talks: health benefits.

In a joint statement released Aug. 26, the two sides said that the agreement on health benefits is subject to agreement on the other issues in the negotiations. The parties say they’ve agreed not to discuss the terms of the tentative agreement while negotiations continue.

“Maintenance of health benefits is an important part of the contract being negotiated between employers represented by the PMA and workers represented by the ILWU,” the joint statement reads in part.

Talks on a new labor pact began May 12 and are still ongoing.

The previous six-year labor pact, which covered almost 20,000 longshore workers at 29 ports up and down the West Coast, expired at 5 pm on July 1, but although no contract extension has been ratified, both sides have agreed to keep operating under the provisions of the recently expired contract for the time being.

Although there are no signs of a union strike or management lockout looming, there’s a history of contentious talks between the PMA and the ILWU, which represents dockworkers in California, Oregon and Washington.

Neither the 2008 or 2002 talks were resolved until after the contracts’ expirations. Last month, however, the ILWU ratified a new four-year collective bargaining agreement with several multinational grain companies that operate export terminals in the Pacific Northwest.