NEW YORK: A union caucus representing laborers at U.S. West Coast ports recommended approval of a new five-year labor contract to members on Friday, a major step toward a finalization of the agreement.
The International Longshore and Warehouse Union on February 20 came to a tentative agreement with the Pacific Maritime Association, which represents port employers, marking the start of an end to months of slowdowns and congestion attributed to conflict between the two groups.
Business at US West Coast Ports Should Return to Normal in About Three Months
A caucus of 90 union delegates spent the week reviewing the agreement, and 78% voted to recommend the proposal to members.
The contract next will be put to a secret ballot of the union’s 20,000 workers at 29 West Coast ports. A final count will occur on May 22.
“Longshore men and women on the docks will now have the final and most important say in the process,” ILWU International President Bob McEllrath said
Starting in November, congestion at West Coast ports heightened, as the union stopped sending in crane operators who they say didn’t have access to proper training.
Port employers later started cutting back on shifts, including suspending vessel unloading over some weekends. By the end of February, more than 30 ships were typically at anchor waiting to get into the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, where operations had nearly ground to a halt. On Friday morning, 13 ships were at anchor.
Logistics and port professionals have said it could take anywhere from three to six months for the supply chain to recover, and some shippers have already moved cargo to ports on the East Coast and elsewhere to diversify their supply networks.
