West Coast labor and management reading from the same page

As we head into the long holiday weekend, shippers have been assured that negotiations for a new labor contract covering nearly 20,000 dockworkers at 29 West Coast ports will continue to move forward.

In a joint statement issued by the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA) and the International Longshore & Warehouse Union (ILWU), both sides noted that the existing, six-year coast-wide labor agreement expires today but that cargo will keep moving, and normal operations will continue at the ports until an agreement can be reached

“(We) understand the strategic importance of the ports to the local, regional and U.S. economies, and are mindful of the need to finalize a new coast-wide contract as soon as possible to ensure continuing confidence in the West Coast ports and avoid any disruption to the jobs and commerce they support,” they stated. 

It is important to remember, too, that the coast-wide labor contract has been faithfully negotiated in collective bargaining since the 1930s. The PMA and ILWU recognize that an unprecedented failure to reach accord this time will cripple the Pacific Rim.