Global Logistics News: West Coast Port Talks Reaching Crisis Stage, as Tensions Rising Despite Federal Mediator Joining the Talks

From SCDigest’s On-Target e-Magazine The Environment has become Worse Since Mediator Scot Beckenbaugh oined Talks Last Week; PMA Presents Work Slowdown Data, While ILWU Walks Out in Portland SCDigest Editorial Staff What began as very amicable discussions last May between the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU), which represent dock workers on West Coast ports, and the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA) that represents 29 West Coast ports, has descended into acrimony and a growing war of words and now actions. With the Longshoremen now working without a contract since June 30, and the likelihood of a strike or a lockout seeming to increase by the day, the PMA took a shot at the union this week by stopping container unloading from ships in port during overnight hours, costing jobs, at least temporarily. SCDigest Says: ILWU press release would seem to have broken the pledge both sides had made early in the talks not to discuss any details of the negotiations in public, unless both sides agreed. But the PMA responded that the move was essential given the backlog of containers in many West Coast terminals, notably at what is by for the busiest US port complex at Los Angeles and Long Beach, with the PMA saying that conditions were "approaching complete gridlock" at many operations. In a bit of irony, ILWU officials criticized the move in a press conference last week as a cutback on jobs, even as the PMA has continued to chastise the union for an alleged work slowdown caused by not sending enough workers to get the job done – a tactic which of course would also obviously result in few Longshoremen at work. Late last week, the PMA released statistics indicating that the union has reduced by about 67% the number of skilled equipment operators being dispatched […]