We use cookies to provide you with a better experience. By continuing to browse the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies in accordance with our Cookie Policy.
  • ::COVID-19 COVERAGE::
  • INDUSTRY PRESS ROOM
  • ABOUT
  • CONTACT
  • MEDIA FILE
  • Create Account
  • Sign In
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
Free Newsletters
  • MAGAZINE
    • Current Issue
    • Archives
    • Digital Edition
    • Subscribe
    • Newsletters
    • Mobile Apps
  • TRANSPORTATION
  • MATERIAL HANDLING
  • TECHNOLOGY
  • LIFT TRUCKS
  • PODCAST ETC.
    • Podcast
    • Blogs
      • Analytics & Big Data
      • Best Practices
      • Dispatches
      • Empowering Your Performance Edge
      • Logistics Problem Solving
      • One-Off Sound Off
      • Public Sector Logistics
      • Two Sides of the Logistics Coin
      • Submit your blog post
    • Events
    • White Papers
    • Industry Press Room
      • Upload Your News
    • New Products
      • Upload Your Product News
    • Conference Guides
    • Conference Reports
    • Newsletters
    • Mobile Apps
  • DCV-TV
    • DCV-TV 1: News
    • DCV-TV 2: Case Studies
    • DCV-TV 3: Webcasts
    • DCV-TV 4: Viewer Contributed
    • DCV-TV 5: Solution Profiles
    • MODEX 2020
    • Upload Your Video
  • MAGAZINE
    • Current Issue
    • Archives
    • Digital Edition
    • Subscribe
    • Newsletters
    • Mobile Apps
  • TRANSPORTATION
  • MATERIAL HANDLING
  • TECHNOLOGY
  • LIFT TRUCKS
  • PODCAST ETC.
    • Podcast
    • Blogs
      • Analytics & Big Data
      • Best Practices
      • Dispatches
      • Empowering Your Performance Edge
      • Logistics Problem Solving
      • One-Off Sound Off
      • Public Sector Logistics
      • Two Sides of the Logistics Coin
      • Submit your blog post
    • Events
    • White Papers
    • Industry Press Room
      • Upload Your News
    • New Products
      • Upload Your Product News
    • Conference Guides
    • Conference Reports
    • Newsletters
    • Mobile Apps
  • DCV-TV
    • DCV-TV 1: News
    • DCV-TV 2: Case Studies
    • DCV-TV 3: Webcasts
    • DCV-TV 4: Viewer Contributed
    • DCV-TV 5: Solution Profiles
    • MODEX 2020
    • Upload Your Video
Home » West Coast ship management ratifies five-year contract with waterfront union
newsworthy

West Coast ship management ratifies five-year contract with waterfront union

May 21, 2015
DC Velocity Staff
No Comments

The Pacific Maritime Association (PMA), which represents ship management at 29 West Coast ports, said late yesterday that its members overwhelmingly ratified a five-year contract with the International Longshore & Warehouse Union (ILWU), the next-to-last step to putting an agreement in place and closing an unpleasant chapter in the history of maritime labor relations.

ILWU, which represents about 14,000 workers at ports from Seattle to San Diego, is expected to announce its ratification vote sometime tomorrow, PMA said in a statement. In April, ILWU's leadership caucus voted to recommend that the rank-and-file approve the contract.

The contract would be retroactive to July 1, 2014, and run through June 30, 2019. Both sides have worked without a contract since last July 1.

The proposed new contract features an "enhanced arbitration system...designed to support waterfront stability, capacity growth and productivity," PMA said. It did not provide details. The involvement of arbitrators was one of several sore points during a nine-month contract fight that caused massive backlogs at key ports due to a work slowdown allegedly orchestrated by the ILWU starting in late November. In early February, PMA said ILWU demanded to include contract language giving the union the right to fire any arbitrator who ruled against it. The provision, PMA said at the time, would give the ILWU veto-power over arbitrators' rights to prevent union slowdowns, and would threaten the consistent and reliable movement of cargo through West Coast ports.

Yesterday's PMA statement said the contract would grant ILWU members wage and pension increases, and make changes to the workers' health plan that will foster efficiencies while still maintaining generous worker benefits. PMA did not provide details in its statement and a spokesman did not respond to a request for comment. The statement did not mention any work-rule changes that would introduce more automation into the ports' processes. West Coast ports are considered well behind Asian and European ports in their use of productivity-boosting automation.

In the statement, PMA President and CEO Jim McKenna sounded contrite in describing the ordeal that port users endured during the nine-month conflict. "The disruptions that occurred during negotiations, and the inconvenience and hardship created by them, were regrettable," McKenna said. "We look forward to building upon the incredible advantages West Coast ports offer and winning back the trust and confidence of the shipping community. This contract provides important tools to accomplish that."

Transportation Maritime & Ocean
  • Related Articles

    West Coast waterfront management scraps vessel loading, unloading operations until Monday

    West Coast longshoremen vote to hold contract-extension talks with management

    ILA rank-and-file ratify six-year contract, ending year-long battle with ship management

Recent Articles by DC Velocity Staff

ATA cheers court ruling upholding looser hours of service caps

Carry (or at least measure) that weight

December cargo volume up in Houston, Oakland

You must login or register in order to post a comment.

Report Abusive Comment

Most Popular Articles

  • Cold chain giant Lineage Logistics buys its own rail operator

  • The Home Depot opens automated DC in greater Atlanta

  • For container lines and ports, what a difference a year makes

  • Outlook 2021: What’s in store for logistics supply chain?

  • A guide to Brexit for ecommerce businesses

Now Playing on DCV-TV

Jlt procure rugged devices thumb

What it takes to procure the right rugged devices for your warehouse

DCV-TV 4: Viewer Contributed
Procuring new rugged devices for your warehouse is often a big decision and a significant investment. It needs careful planning and consideration. It involves more than ticking boxes on a spec sheet. It includes testing and getting employee buy in. And it's about finding a partner that can work with you to deploy...

FEATURED WHITE PAPERS

  • Proven Benefits: A Compendium of Slotting Optimization Success Snapshots

  • Bridging Information Gaps in Dock and Yard Operations

  • How Intelligent Sensor Solutions Turn Data Into Action

  • Order picking Solutions: Understanding Your Options

View More

Subscribe to DC Velocity Magazine

GET YOUR FREE SUBSCRIPTION
  • SUBSCRIBE
  • NEWSLETTERS
  • ADVERTISING
  • CUSTOMER CARE
  • CONTACT
  • ABOUT
  • STAFF
  • PRIVACY POLICY

Copyright ©2021. All Rights ReservedDesign, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing