Negotiations between the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA) and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) on the West Coast Ports labor contract, which expired on July 1, have continued without interruption over the last two weeks. However, there is still no information about what progress is being made. Meanwhile, trade up and down the West Coast continues to suffer because of a labor-related slowdown at the ports. Many businesses are hurting because they cannot access imported items and export items are sitting on the docks way behind schedule.
The PMA, which represents companies who run the terminals, and the ILWU are trying to negotiate a multi-year collective bargaining agreement that covers some 14,000 full-time dock workers at 29 ports. With few signs of progress, nerves are beginning to fray. Importers and exporters increasingly are claiming financial hardship because of delays at the ports and have appealed for the sides to agree to federal mediation.
PMA alleges that the ILWU began orchestrating work slowdowns in Seattle and Tacoma in late November, noting that terminal productivity plummeted by between 40 and 60 percent. The ILWU maintains it is being made a scapegoat for congestion at key West Coast ports. The decline in productivity that broke out six weeks ago at the ports of Seattle and Tacoma was caused by marine terminals arbitrarily sending work crews home and not a slowdown by the union to gain leverage in the talks, according to comments made by ILWU Legislative Director Lindsay McLaughlin at an industry conference earlier this week.
Botttlenecks pre-existed any labor dispute, but international shippers say the labor friction is certainly exacerbating a difficult situation. Agricultural exporters say the delays in shipping are backing up supply lines and creating serious economic damage, not to mention harm to their reputation among overseas buyers. “It is deeply frustrating and the injury to U.S. commerce is dramatic and in some cases permanent,” said Peter Freidman, executive director of the Agriculture Transportation Coalition.
Meanwhile, Representative Dave Reichert (R-WA) sent a letter to President Obama on Wednesday urging him to encourage the ILWU and PMA to use a federal mediator to help them conclude their contract negotiations. The letter pointed out that ports are losing business that “we know will not return.” “This is detrimental to our ports, those who work at the ports, and communities across the state. This significantly impacts the economy of the Pacific Northwest and the country as w whole, said Rep. Reichert
“We recognize the serious task before the parties. However, after over six months of negotiations, we strongly believe a federal mediator has become necessary. Moreover, we are increasingly concerned that there could be a shutdown at the ports as occurred in 2012,” the letter to the president said.
The letter was also signed by Reps. Kurt Schrader (D-OR); Doc Hastings (R-WA), Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), Jamie Herrera Beutler (R-WA), Mike Simpson (R-ID), and Greg Walden (R-OR).
