As pressure mounts on both sides, the West Coast dockworkers union on Thursday, April 20, announced a “tentative agreement” has been reached on “certain key issues.”
But there were no specifics on those categories — and still no contract in place.
Talks began in May 2022. Initially, it was optimistically hoped a new contract could be signed by around Labor Day 2022.
The International Longshore and Warehouse Union update statement provided no details on the areas of the latest tentative agreements.
Earlier, on July 26, 2022, the union and the Pacific Maritime Association representing employers said that the two sides had reached a tentative agreement on terms for health benefits. Then, on Feb. 23, 2023, both parties again issued a joint news release saying only that negotiations continued and they remained hopeful of reaching a deal “soon.”
The release on Thursday was issued only by the ILWU.
PMA responded later in the day.
“While significant progress has been achieved in coastwise contract negotiations,” the statement read, “several key issues remain unresolved.”
The association went on to reiterate allegations that the ILWU’s Local 13 at both ports “continued to disrupt some operations at key marine terminals today. The union is deliberately conducting inspections that are not routine, unscheduled, and done in a way that disrupt terminal operations.”
Local 13 has denied those accusations, saying the slower-than-usual cargo flow currently has given them an opportunity to catch up on equipment inspections that were bypassed during the busier pandemic months.
The inspections are crucial, the union said, to prevent serious or even fatal injuries from equipment that may not be in good working condition.
Both sides have signed agreements to make no public statements about the substance of the talks.
Talks have lingered and are now close to reaching a one-year anniversary without a resolution. Among key issues this time are…
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