Members of the union representing more than 22,000 dockworkers across 29 West Coast ports reportedly engaged in job actions that “have effectively shut down operations at some marine terminals at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach,” according to the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA).
“We aren’t going to settle for an economic package that doesn’t recognize the heroic efforts and personal sacrifices of the ILWU workforce that lifted the shipping industry to record profits,” International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) President Willie Adams reportedly stated.
The PMA represents terminal operators in ongoing contract negotiations with the ILWU. The parties have been in sometimes hostile talks since May 1, 2022. The labor-management contract expired in July, with union members currently working without a deal. According to recent claims leveled by the PMA, actions taken by union workers have also “shut down or severely impacted terminal operations at the ports of Oakland, Tacoma, Seattle, and Hueneme.”
Freight carriers and owner-operators could end up being collateral damage if contract disputes escalate and dockworkers call an all-out strike.
“Drivers are reporting back to dispatch that trucks are just sitting in line,” Junction Collaborative Transports CEO Ian Weiland reportedly said of the LA and Long Beach situation. “There is limited to no crane movement, so containers aren’t being placed on outbound trucks from ships or piles.”
The primary tactic ILWU members are allegedly using involves callouts. When an insufficient number of trained dock and warehouse workers show up for a shift, terminal operators are typically forced to suspend operations. This strategy has been reportedly deployed in Oakland and other ports when contract discussions boiled over.
Officials representing and supporting the terminal operators have indicated the union over-played its hand by not taking a deal in 2022. West Coast ports were booming and flush with cash. Over the last year, importers and logistics companies have re-imagined trade routes, diverting goods and materials to Gulf and East Coast Ports. But despite the failure to come to terms, Port of L.A. executive director Eugene Seroka appeared upbeat last month.
“I believe that we’re on the doorstep of a tentative agreement. Both sides are spending a lot of time at the negotiating table. Resolving this issue will send a clear signal of stability,” Seroka reportedly said.
Failed negotiations in the past have resulted in union strikes and management locking out employees. Truckers stand to lose a considerable amount of work should the parties walk away from the negotiating table, yet again.
Sources:
https://www.ajot.com/news/union-action-shuts-some-key-west-coast-ports-employers-say
https://www.ajot.com/insights/full/ai-pma-accuses-ilwu-of-coast-wide-disruptions-of-west-coast-ports
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