On Monday, the PMA (represents employers) requested that federal mediators engage in negotiations which have continued unsuccessfully with eight months of talks with the ILWU.
Today, the U.S. Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service said it will be reaching out to the International Longshore and Warehouse Union to see whether it can help in labor talks with U.S. West Coast port employers.
Both sides have to agree to federal mediation before the government will consider entering the talks.
The PMA said ILWU slowdowns, walk-offs have hurt shippers, truckers and others, and the West Coast ports’ market share as the major U.S. import and export gateways. The ILWU rejects that it has been involved in such schemes.
The FMCS [Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service] said in a statement:
“In accordance with its statutory responsibilities, the FMCS has been closely monitoring these negotiations for some time and has stood ready to provide mediation services at a moment’s notice. Due to the sensitivity of the negotiations, the FMCS will have no further comment on this request and will not comment regarding the status or substance of the negotiations.”
From JOC:
FMCS is an independent agency that can only become involved at the request of both parties, not the president. The president, however, can urge parties to seek mediation, like Obama reportedly did behind the scenes when talks between the International Longshoremen’s Association and the United States Maritime Alliance hit in 2002.
To read more: JOC
Keep checking Superior Freight’s News and blog posts for the latest news on the West Coast Port negotiations.
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