Trucking operations were returning to normal in the Pacific Northwest on Wednesday following a decision by independent truckers to call a 30-day moratorium on their job action at the ports of Seattle and Tacoma.
Owner-operators who had refused to serve the ports over the past two weeks released a statement saying they have achieved a partial victory, and will give shipping lines, terminal operators and trucking companies 30 days to develop a program that will result in increased wages and shorter gate times in Seattle and Tacoma.
“As with most strikes, we have won a partial victory. Now we are moving into the next phase of our campaign,” the Owner Operator Campaign and International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local 174 said in a statement on Tuesday.
Independent drivers will resume service to the ports, but they will also seek union recognition and will call upon the two ports to convene a meeting of trucking companies and drivers to establish “fair pay” for all drivers.
“On or about Sept. 30, port truckers will reconvene and decide, based on how the trucking companies and the ports are addressing the above issues, whether to resume the strike against all, some or none of the trucking companies,” the release stated.
Port of Seattle officials said trucking operations had already started to return to normal over the weekend, so Tuesday’s announcement should keep the ports operating smoothly during the peak shipping season.
“The owner-operators and Teamsters Local 174 have articulated some very important issues that require long-term solutions,” said Tom Tierney, chief administrative officer at the Port of Seattle. “Their announcement to step back at least temporarily gives the port and other players in the shipping industry the opportunity to try to address their concerns and seek lasting solutions,” he said.
A major emphasis of the ports will be to work with shipping lines, terminal operators and truckers to streamline the harbor infrastructure and reduce congestion at marine terminals, Tierney said.
