West Coast port talks drag on as work stoppages, labor negotiations continue

The Port of Los Angeles

While U.S. cabinet members try to move West Coast port negotiations past the latest roadblock to an agreement, Oakland longshoremen suspended work Feb. 19.

The selection of an arbitrator is the final hurdle to the International Longshore and Warehouse and Pacific Maritime Association reaching consensus, said U.S. Senators Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer. The California Democrats demanded swift resolution Feb. 19 from the union and the association representing employers.

“While it is understandable that the parties can disagree, it is highly disappointing that with so much at stake, you have not been able to come up with a path forward on this one remaining issue,” they wrote.

Last week, the PMA reported that the ILWU was demanding power to fire any arbitrator who rules against the union.

West Coast governors have joined the growing number of elected officials and business organizations demanding settlement, including California Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. “After nine months of bargaining, to be hung up on what appears to be arcane process issues is unacceptable,” Brown said. “Get it done, guys.”

Labor Secretary Tom Perez and Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker joined a federal mediator Feb. 17, who has assisting negotiations for more than a month. The dockworkers and clerical union have worked without a contract since July, despite beginning talks in May.

At Oakland’s marine terminals, the ILWU cancelled the Feb. 19 day shift to attend a union meeting traditionally held at night. There would be no work on the 12 vessels at berth, release of import containers or acceptance of overseas containers for export.

Also that day, 30 ships awaited anchor at Los Angeles and Long Beach ports, down two vessels from Feb. 18.

The past two weekends, employers suspended dockworker ship assignments. They said they did not want to pay holiday and weekend wages during a work slowdown they say equals a strike.

The largest West Coast ports suspended nighttime vessel work a month after the union began a work slowdown in October.

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Seattle and Tacoma ports reported a 13 percent drop in containers for January after volume began dwindling in November.

Employers reportedly took the last contract offer and distributed directly to rank-and-file longshoremen last week.