NEW YORK: Dockworkers at U.S. West Coast ports and shipping companies said they have reached a five-year agreement that brings a longstanding labor dispute to an end.
The Pacific Maritime Association, representing port terminal operators and ship owners, and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union secured the deal night through the mediation of U.S. Labor Secretary Thomas Perez.
The agreement still must be ratified by members of both organizations.
“After more than nine months of negotiations, we are pleased to have reached an agreement that is good for workers and for the industry. We are also pleased that our ports can now resume full operations,” PMA President James McKenna and ILWU President Bob McEllrath said in a joint statement.
The White House, for its part, said in a statement that the resolution of the dispute is a “huge relief” for the U.S. economy.
Although the details of the deal have not yet been made public, media reports indicate the main sticking point in recent weeks concerned the arbitration system for resolving disputes that may arise under the new contract.
The dispute had resulted in work slowdowns and stoppages that caused massive backlogs at the 29 affected West Coast ports and hurt businesses across the U.S. economy that rely on imports and exports.
