After initially rejecting the tentative agreements that ended an eight-day strike that shut down much of the Los Angeles and Long Beach ports, clerical workers voted to ratify the contracts. Earlier this month, representatives for the employers said the 16 clerical worker bargaining units had failed to ratify the agreements, leading to concerns of another port slowdown.
Members of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 63 Office Clerical Unit voted Wednesday on the terms of the contracts reached by negotiators December 4. The contracts concerning about 600 clerical workers and 14 employers will run through June 30, 2016 once ratified.
Officials at the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles said they were pleased to see both sides come to an agreement. “A stable work force is a critical component of our Port’s success and helps ensure that the hundreds of thousands of trade-related jobs stay here in Southern California,” Port of Long Beach spokesman Daniel Yi said. “We commend the employers and the union for reaching a resolution.”
