‚ÄãWest Coast dock workers vote for early contract negotiations
The International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU), which represents about 20,000 dock workers at 29 West Coast ports, last week voted to begin talks now on an extension of its contract with the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA), which represents West Coast port facilities owners.
The PMA and ILWU signed a five-year contract in early 2015 - retroactive to July 1, 2014 - after protracted labor talks and a nearly four-month work slowdown that negatively affected U.S. exporters. The U.S. meat and poultry sectors lost an estimated $40 million a week during the slowdown, which went from November 2014 to February 2015.
The National Pork Producers Association (NPPC) and 112 other trade associations in March 2016 sent a letter to the ILWU and the PMA, urging them to begin early discussions on a contract extension or a new contract.
The groups, representing manufacturers, farmers and agribusinesses, wholesalers, retailers, importers, exporters, distributors, transportation and logistics providers and other supply chain stakeholders, also suggested the two sides develop a new model, including early and continuous dialogue between the parties, for future negotiations and called on the union and the port association "to avoid actions that would slow, stop, or disrupt cargo movement during negotiations." In a related matter, the International Longshoremen's Association, representing East Coast and Gulf Coast dock workers, put a hold on its early contact talks with the United States Maritime Alliance. That contract expires in September 2018.
