Ocean cargo: West Coast dockside productivity down as labor talks falter

Patrick Burnson, Executive Editor -- Logistics Management, 7/17/2008

SAN FRANCISCO—With labor and management talks at a standstill, reports from West Coast ports indicate that the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) is now playing a “stalling game.”

According to the Pacific Maritime Associations, union members in Southern California have expanded disruptive job actions at terminals at the twin ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, leading to widening productivity losses.

 “What we're seeing is a troubling pattern emerging here by the ILWU whose actions could jeopardize the U.S. economy at a time when it can least afford to take another hit,” said PMA spokesman, Steve Getzug.

 Overall, productivity at the port complex was down 20 to 30 percent during the day shift on Tuesday, according to the PMA, whose 71 member companies include cargo carriers, terminal operators, and stevedores on the West Coast.

 In a message to its members, ILWU leaders admitted to disruptions and asked for cooler heads to prevail:

 “When contracts expire, some people are tempted to take matters into their own hands,” the ILWU told its members. “Let’s respect the Negotiating Committee strategy and our elected union officials by discouraging talk about ‘wildcats.’ We’re stronger when we stick together!”

 A “wildcat” strike is an action taken by workers without union permission.

 First detected during the dayshift on Tuesday, the new work actions are occurring on top of coordinated mid-shift unit breaks that began Friday and continue to hamper operations at the nation’s busiest ports. Essentially a series of small steps—such as tractor drivers operating their vehicles more slowly than normal, or brief delays being made during routine actions such as placing containers on trucks—the cumulative impact of these actions is to slow operations incrementally, but significantly.

As time goes on, the impacts threaten to become even greater, warned the PMA. Furthermore, because the previous waterfront contract expired July 1 and the union refused to extend it as current negotiations continue, there are no means to arbitrate these matters.