West Coast Ports: PMA Accuses ILWU of Withholding Offer to Rank & File
The PMA’s latest offer included a 3% wage increase each year over five years and fully paid health care.
From JOC:
The PMA has offered a contract that would raise ILWU wages 14 percent over five years on top of what it says is average annual earnings for full-time longshoremen of $147,000. PMA also offered to maintain fully employer-paid health care that costs employers $35,000 per dockworker. The maximum pension would be increased to $88,800 a year. The pay guarantee plan would increase to 40 hours per week. The ILWU would also have jurisdiction over the maintenance and repair of truck chassis.
From WSJ:
After offering what it called an “all-in” offer to union workers last week, the Pacific Maritime Association said a separate union request to change arbitration-process rules threatens to derail the talks.
Now it appears that there is the last major obstacle in finalizing a contract settlement is the union demanding that waterfront arbitrators can be fired unilaterally without consent of the other party. The arbitrators are chosen jointly by the ILWU and PMA.
From JOC:
“The ILWU is essentially seeking the right to fire judges who rule against them,” said PMA spokesman Wade Gates.
The ILWU is not buying this argument. “PMA’s so-called ‘revelation’ is totally inaccurate, and it is irresponsible for them to make these kind of misleading statements,” said ILWU spokesman Craig Merrilees.
This ILWU spokesman said he couldn’t elaborate.
During the period 2008-2014, more than 250 labor disputes were resolved using the current arbitrator process involving ILWU slowdowns or work stoppages, and the employers won more than 85 percent of the cases.
Superior Freight will keep you up-to-date on the latest West Coast Port negotiations. If you have questions, please feel free to email superior@supfrt.com.
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