Three-quarters of rank-and-file membership with the International Longshore and Warehouse Union approved a new six-year labor contract, the ILWU announced Thursday, Aug. 31, ending one of the longest negotiation periods in the union’s history.
Employers, represented by the Pacific Maritime Association, had already approved of the contract.
The six-year contract will expire on July 1, 2028. Details of the agreement have not been officially released, but media reports have said pay will go up 32% and bring dockworkers $70 million in bonuses over the course of the agreement.
“The negotiations for this contract were protracted and challenging,” said ILWU International President Willie Adams. “I am grateful to our rank-and-file for their strength, to our Negotiating Committee for their vision and tenacity, and to those that supported giving the ILWU and PMA the space that we needed to get to this result.”
Jim McKenna, PMA’s president and CEO, also lauded the deal in a written statement.
“This contract provides an important framework for the hard work ahead to overcome new competitive challenges and to continue to position the West Coast ports as destinations of choice for shippers worldwide,” he said. “From San Diego to Bellingham, these ports have long been the primary gateways for cargo coming into and leaving the United States, and our interests are aligned in ensuring they can effectively, and efficiently, handle the capacity growth that drives economies and jobs.’’
Responses from the ports and lawmakers from both Long Beach and Los Angeles were swift as soon as the bulletin was sent out by the union Thursday afternoon..
Mayors Rex Richardson and Karen Bass, of Long Beach and LA, respectively, congratulated both sides for reaching a long-term agreement that benefits 22,000 workers at 29 West Coast ports, saying the agreement was “vital for the prosperity of both cities and the nation.”
“”This agreement is a win for the…
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