2-13-2015 CBN West Coast Update

West Coast port operators shut down ship operations for four
days
The Pacific Maritime Association, representing port employers,
suspended ship unloading for four days during the holidaysa time
when dockworkers are entitled to overtime payreporting that
management did not want to pay the premium rate during worker
slowdowns.
At the same time that PMA announced the action, they cancelled
Thursdays planned negotiating session with the ILWU and a federal
mediator. The two parties have conducted nine months of contentious
talks in order to agree on the terms of a new contract for up to 20,000
dockworkers at 29 West Coast ports. The previous six-year contract
expired on July 1, 2014.
The continued intransigence by labor and management to reach a
new contract is unacceptable, said Jonathan Gold, vice president of
supply chain for the National Retail Foundation. Retailers and the rest
of the supply chain are frustrated beyond belief.
The four days affected by the suspension of vessel operations include
Thursday, 2/12 (yesterday - Lincolns Birthday); and Saturday, 2/14
through Monday, 2/16 (Washingtons Birthday).
In light of ongoing and costly ILWU slowdowns, the PMA statement
said, PMA members will temporarily suspend premium-pay weekend
and holiday vessel operations on four upcoming dates, while yard, gate
and rail operations will continue at terminal operators discretion. In
Southern California, terminal operators will expand daytime vessel
operations on non-holiday weekdays.
PMA members have concluded that they will not conduct vessel
operations on those dates, paying full shifts of ILWU workers such high
rates for severely diminished productivity while the backlog of cargo at
West Coast ports grows.
The International Longshore and Warehouse Union issued a statement
in response to the PMA suspension, noting the action marks the second
time in less than a week that employers have idled vessels.

According to the PMA, the current point of contention in West Coast

longshore worker contract talks is a union demand that both sides
have the ability to unilaterally remove local arbitrators once a labor
contract has been agreed upon. Those arbitrators settle disputes on
the docks, when a contract is in place. Currently, both sides must
agree to remove an arbitrator.
Last week, PMA made a comprehensive contract offer designed to
bring these talks to conclusion, said PMA spokesman Wade Gates.
The ILWU responded with demands they knew we could not meet and
continued slowdowns that will soon bring West Coast ports to gridlock.
The union said PMA has mischaracterized the ILWUs bargaining
position, but did not elaborate.
This is an effort by the employers to put economic pressure on our
members and to gain leverage in contract talks, said ILWU President
Robert McEllrath in the statement. The union is standing by ready to
negotiate, as we have been for the past several days.
In a video trending on social media, McEllrath addresses the ILWU
membership, encouraging rank and file union dockworkers to ignore
PMAs bullshit and continue to support ILWU contract negotiators.
The slowdowns need to end, said NRFs Gold. The brinkmanship
needs to stop. The ILWU and PMA are delaying cargo and merchandise
in the short-term while harming the competitiveness of the West Coast
ports in the long-term. This stalemate is hurting American businesses,
their employees and consumers.
Check out this LAist piece that features stunning aerial photos of the
cargo traffic jam off L.A./Long Beach:
http://laist.com/2015/02/11/photos_port_lockdown.php#photo-1