The Los Angeles Board of Harbor Commissioners elected new officers on Thursday, returning Commissioner Lucille Roybal-Allard to another term as president and newly seated commissioner John Pérez as vice president.
Pérez’s nomination drew controversy as he replaced Commissioner Diane Middleton — a respected longtime San Pedro resident and attorney who had strong ties to labor — with someone who lives outside the Harbor Area.
Following extensive questioning by Los Angeles City Councilmember Tim McOsker in the L.A. City Council’s Trade, Travel and Tourism Committee meeting on Sept. 17, his appointment was unanimously approved by the Los Angeles City Council on Sept. 20.
Lee Williams of San Pedro currently is the only Harbor Area resident remaining on the five-member board.
Thursday’s meeting was conducted at Banning’s Landing in Wilmington. The remainder of the board’s 2024 meetings will follow suit as a remodel of the panel’s regular meeting room at port headquarters in San Pedro takes place.
In his opening remarks, port Executive Director Gene Seroka commented on the ongoing labor tension for longshore workers — members of the International Longshoremen’s Association — on the East and Gulf Coast.
Anticipation of a possible strike had already sent additional cargo to the West Coast recently. The strike, Seroka said, impacted 14 ports “from Maine to Texas” as 42,000 workers began a walkout Tuesday, Oct. 1.
The strike, however, was suspended on Thursday when the union representing 45,000 striking U.S. dockworkers at East and Gulf coast ports reached a deal to put off the strike until Jan. 15 to provide time to negotiate a new contract.
The union, the International Longshoremen’s Association, started back to work immediately. The temporary end to the strike came after the union and the U.S. Maritime Alliance, which represents ports and shipping companies, reached a tentative agreement on wages, the union and ports said in a joint…
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