Photo: JOE KLAMAR/AFP/Getty Images
Operations at some marine terminals in the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach were “effectively shut down”union groups representing shippers announced.
On social media, the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA), a shipping industry group, said the The International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) took similar labor actions that suspended or seriously affected terminal operations at the ports of Oakland, Tacoma, Seattle and Hueneme..
Today, the ILWU is staging concerted and disruptive work actions that have effectively shut down operations at some marine terminals at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. (1/2)
— Pacific Maritime Association (@WestCoastPorts) June 2, 2023
It’s a statement, The ILWU, in response to the accusations, claimed that any report that negotiations had broken down was false..
The two parties have negotiated a new collective bargaining agreement for more than 22,000 port employees in 29 ports on the west coast of the United States.
The previous collective bargaining agreement expired on July 1, 2022.
According to the ILWU, the Pacific Maritime Association represents more than 70 multinational ocean carriers and shipping companies in contract discussions with the ILWU.
“PMA member carriers and terminal operators made record profits of $510 billion (dollars) during the pandemic. In some cases, profits increased by almost 1,000%,” the ILWU reported in a statement.
The union added that as shipment volume returns to normal in 2023, PMA members continue to post revenues that far exceed pre-pandemic times by billions of dollars.
In April, the PMA said that due to a shortage of employees, the twin ports had to be suspended for two days; but the ILWU attributed the lack of dockworkers to union members attending their monthly meeting and also attending religious holidays.
The union stated that its members risked their lives, and some lost their lives during the pandemic, to ensure that necessary goods and supplies reached stores, hospitals and consumers.
“Despite that fact, from pre-pandemic levels and through 2022, the ILWU percentage of wages and benefits continued to fall compared to the rising incomes of PMAs,” the union said.
ILWU made clear its commitment to negotiate a collective bargaining agreement that is fair and equitable, including wages and benefitsthat reflect the dedication of the union workforce and their contributions to the success of the shipping industry.
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