Shipping and Logistics
Tentative Labor Deal Reached at West Coast Ports
Written by Laura Miller
June 19, 2023
In good news for the movement of goods on the West Coast, a tentative labor agreement has been reached between the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA) and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU).
The new, six-year contract covers more than 22,000 ILWU dock workers represented at 29 West Coast ports. Details of the tentative agreement, which is still subject to ratification, are not being released at this time.
“While the final decision is up to our members, we feel our time at the bargaining table was well spent and that the agreement represents the hard work of our rank and file and the sacrifices they made during the pandemic,” ILWU said in a statement.
Delegates from each of the ports “will carefully review the tentative agreement and make a recommendation to the rank and file who will then vote on the tentative agreement. This process takes a few months to complete,” ILWU said.
“We are pleased to have reached an agreement that recognizes the heroic efforts and personal sacrifices of the ILWU workforce in keeping our ports operating,” commented PMA president James McKenna and ILWU president Willie Adams in a joint statement.
“We are also pleased to turn our full attention back to the operation of the West Coast ports,” the joint statement added.
Acting US Secretary of Labor Julie Su helped with the labor negotiations, which had been ongoing since the expiration of the contract last summer.
Su said the agreement “delivers important stability for workers, for employers and for our country’s supply chain.”
By Laura Miller, laura@steelmarketupdate.com
Laura Miller
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