The International Longshore & Warehouse Union (ILWU) has voted in favour of a new five-year contract with the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA) to ensure labour peace at US West Coast ports.
The contract comes after labour disputes between the ILWU and PMA saw port congestion, slow downs and shut downs across 29 West Coast ports in the US, causing major disruptions to trade.
“The negotiations for this contract were some of the longest and most difficult in our recent history,” ILWU international president Robert McEllrath said in a company statement.
The five-year contract will run until 1 July 2019, with 82 per cent of ILWU voters showing support for the contract that will improve wages and job safety protection as well as providing an improved system for job dispute resolution. The ILWU approval of the contract follows the approval by PMA member companies and is retroactive to 1 July 2014.
“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. From San Diego to Bellingham, these ports have long been the primary gateways for cargo coming into and leaving the US, and our interests are aligned in ensuring they can effectively, and efficiently, handle the capacity growth that drives economies and jobs,’’ PMA president and CEO Jim McKenna said in a statement released 22 May.
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