In the first encouraging development since contract negotiations began in mid-May, the International Longshore and Warehouse Union and the Pacific Maritime Association Wednesday morning reported progress in their talks for a new three-year waterfront contract.
A spokeswoman for the PMA, which represents shipping lines and terminal operators, said negotiations continued all night Tuesday and until three Wednesday morning. The two sides are scheduled to resume negotiations Wednesday afternoon.
“Progress was made,” the spokeswoman said.
An ILWU spokesman said, “talks are ongoing. Wey think we’re making progress.”
A recording at ILWU headquarters in San Francisco that was played all night Tuesday quoted the union’s chief negotiator, James Spinosa, as saying “more progress was made than at any time in recent days.”
Word spread through West Coast ports on Tuesday that agreement had been reached on the main contract issue, which is pensions.
However, after the pension issue was resolved, the union reportedly returned to the bargaining table with additional demands.
Meanwhile, slowdowns continued Wednesday at West Coast ports.
Don Wylie, managing director of maritime services at the Port of Long Beach, said trucks continue to back up at maritime terminals.
At the Port of Oakland, vessels were still backed up as employers struggled to get enough labor to work the ships. In order to maintain schedule integrity, eight vessels bypassed Oakland since last week, said Dan Westerlin, the port’s manager of strategic marketing.
The slowdowns have hit all of the West Coast ports. ILWU locals are reporting late to work, refusing to work extended hours, shutting down operations during meals and slowing down crane operations.
Most ports were reporting that the number of crane moves per hour have been at best, 60% of normal. Some terminals reported productivity as low as 14% to 20% of normal.
The work slowdowns have resulted in congestion, especially at the busy Los Angeles-Long Beach port complex.
“The longer these slowdowns continue, the longer it wil take to dig ourselves out,” Wylie said.
Waterfront sources expect further progress in negotiations this week. The ILWU has already scheduled a caucus to be held on Monday, July 19.
The union had intended to have a tentative contract agreement by then.
The procedure is for the caucus to vote on the agreement and if it is approved, the proposed contract will then be presented to the rank and file for a vote.
