West Coast Ports UPDATE: Federal Mediation Begins
In response to a joint request by the ILWU and PMA, the FMCS (Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service) announced later yesterday:
“In response to a joint request for assistance from the parties, collective bargaining between ILWU and PMA representatives will continue as soon as possible under the auspices of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS). “We are prepared and ready to render prompt assistance. Deputy Director Scot Beckenbaugh, a senior FMCS mediator with extensive collective bargaining experience in this industry, has been assigned to help the parties bring these important negotiations to a mutually acceptable resolution.”
The FMCS is an independent federal agency that serves as a neutral third party to assist with labor negotiations. The FMCS cannot impose a settlement, but its mediators act as an intermediary to help the two sides reach an agreement.
This announcement is a major development in the stalled negotiation process.
From JOC:
The news that the ILWU had joined the PMA in requesting federal mediation came at the end of the first day of talks since the two sides broke for the holidays, and amid growing belief that jurisdiction over the controversial issue of chassis maintenance and repair was a main barrier to progress in negotiations.
The chassis issue is an important issue because chassis M&R [Maintenance & Repair] work accounts for hundreds of ILWU jobs at West Coast ports.
From JOC:
Until this year, shipping lines purchased, maintained and repaired the chassis that harbor truckers use to dray containers to and from marine terminals. The lines are PMA members, so much, but not all, of the chassis M&R work at marine terminals is performed by ILWU mechanics.
The shipping lines this year sold most of their chassis to equipment-leasing companies. Those companies are not PMA members and therefore have no contractual relationship with the ILWU. The union is concerned that the companies will have chassis M&R work performed at off-dock sites with non-ILWU labor.
Superior Freight Services, Inc. news will keep you up-to-date on the latest information on the West Coast Ports.
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