Tentative US West Coast Port Contract Deal Reached
ports on Wednesday said they have reached a tentative deal on a new six-year contract, ending 13 months of talks and easing supply chain worries.The deal was reached with assistance from Acting U.S. Labor Secretary Julie Su, the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) and the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA) employer group said in a joint statement.President Joe Biden, who dispatched Su to the negotiations in San Francisco earlier this week, said she "used her deep experience and judgment to keep the parties talking, working with them to reach an agreement after a long and sometimes
White House Says West Coast Port Negotiations Show Some Progress
Union (ILWU) dockworkers at ports from California to Washington state have been working without a contract since July 2022. Unions are pressing for a bigger share of record profits reaped when cargo shipments surged during the pandemic.Contract talks hit a bump on June 1. Since then, the Pacific Maritime Association employers group has criticized the union for worker absences, which PMA said were deliberately slowing West Coast ports.The PMA specifically called out worker shortages in Los Angeles, Long Beach, Oakland and Seattle this month. A handful of ships had delays at berth at the busiest U.S. container
Cargo Operations Halt at the Port of Seattle Amid Labor Dispute
PMA says US West Coast port workers shut down Port of Seattle; workers' union denies claimThe Pacific Maritime Association (PMA), which represents terminal operators, said in a tweet on Saturday that coordinated and disruptive work actions led by the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) have shut down cargo operations at the Port of Seattle."On the first shift today, the ILWU refused to dispatch any longshore workers to container terminals, the PMA said, resulting in the shutdown of the port.The ILWU, however, said that the West Coast ports are open and accused the PMA of
Business Group Urges Biden to Intervene in West Coast Ports Labor Dispute
been working without a contract since July. U.S. Chamber of Commerce CEO Suzanne Clark in a letter to Biden cited "continued and potentially expanded service disruptions at these ports heading into peak shipping season."Tensions remain high as negotiators for the employers' Pacific Maritime Association (PMA) and workers' International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) tussle over wages and retroactive pay in the last leg of talks that have stretched into their 13th month.Unions are asking for a pay increase that reflects workers' contribution to the ocean shipping industry'
Jobs at Stake as California Port Terminal Upgrades to Green Technology
costs.A report underwritten by the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) representing West Coast dock workers found that in 2020 and 2021, the Long Beach terminal had 392 fewer jobs than it would have had if it were not automated.A competing report commissioned by the Pacific Maritime Association employer group found that from 2015, the last year before automated operations, through 2021 paid hours at the automated Long Beach terminal and another in Los Angeles grew 31.5%. The authors, who said that gain was twice that of unautomated terminals, declined to provide figures for Long
Biden Encourages Continued Collective Bargaining in US Ports Dispute
White House spokesperson added.Groups representing major retailers and manufacturers urged the White House on Monday to intervene in contentious labor negotiations, citing worries about shipping disruptions during critical holiday shopping seasons.Contract talks between the employers' Pacific Maritime Association (PMA) and workers' International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) are in the final stretch, but frustrations are running high after more than a year at the negotiating table.(Reuters - Reporting by Jeff Mason, writing by Kanishka Singh
Retailers, Manufacturers Urge White House to Mediate in West Coast Ports Labor Dispute
workers rally for better pay. Monday's closure followed similar disruptions on Friday in Oakland, California.More than 22,000 dockworkers at ports stretching from California to Washington state have been working without a contract since July.Contract talks between the employers' Pacific Maritime Association (PMA) and workers' International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) are in the final stretch, but frustrations are running high after more than a year at the negotiating table."We urge the administration to mediate to ensure the parties quickly finalize a new contract without additional
US West Coast Port Labor Unrest Continues Amid Pay Quarrel
, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.TTI decided to close on Monday "based on its own operational needs," said port spokesperson Lee Peterson, who added that the port's other terminals were operating and that cargo was moving.Contract talks between the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA) and the ILWU have stretched into their 13th month.ILWU workers were vital to keeping goods moving during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic and want to be compensated for putting their lives at risk during that time, when ocean carriers like MSC were reaping record profits. Many
Top US Shipping Gateway Mostly Closes Due to Port Worker Shortage
, after months of strained labor negotiations between the union dock workers and their employers.A substantial number of ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach workers, including operators needed to load and unload cargo, failed to show up on the job starting Thursday evening, according to the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA), which represents employers.The PMA said the missing workers were a result of a coordinated action by the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) to withhold labor as contract talks drag on"The action by the union has effectively shut down the ports of Los Angeles and
Seattle Dispute Disrupts US West Coast Port Labor Talks
A work assignment dispute in Seattle is interrupting labor talks covering 29 U.S. West Coast ports and 22,000 employees that handle almost 40% of U.S. imports, the union representing dockworkers said on Tuesday.International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) and the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA) employer group have been negotiating a new contract since July 1. The ILWU's announcement on Tuesday comes after the two sides have traded jabs in the media about automation, another contentious issue at the negotiating table.The ILWU alleged that PMA member SSA Marine - operator of the largest
Looking for a Good Deal? Learn to Take Advantage of Interns
and they will reward you and our industry.In my next column I will provide further guidance on running successful high school engineering intern programs.For each column I write, MREN has agreed to make a small donation to an organization of my choice. For this column I nominate the Connecticut Maritime Association intern stipend program. https://www.cma-edu.org/internships/ If you need to convince your boss to hire interns this may be the thing to close the deal
Watch Change: Ed Kelly Retires from NY/NJ Maritime Association
As 2021 closed, Edward J. Kelly stepped down as the Executive Director of the Maritime Association of the Port of New York/ New Jersey (MAPONY/NJ). Kelly was at the helm of the Association for the past 18 years. MAPONY/NJ president Michael DiVirgilio announced that Stephen Lyman took over as new Executive Director on January 1.Under Kelly’s leadership, the Association’s work and standing, regionally and nationally, marked significant accomplishments. For elected officials and decision-makers, the Association became the “go to” place for expertise and context. Kelly, in collaborat
Matson Promotes Three
a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Engineering from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. Kinney serves as a member of the boards of the Pacific Merchant Shipping Association and Oakland Chamber of Commerce, and as a member of the Coast Steering Committee of the Pacific Maritime Association and the Board of Managers of SSA Terminals, SSAT (Oakland) and SSAT (Seattle)
MAJ, WiMAC Celebrate Women in the Shipping Sector
Members of the Maritime Authority of Jamaica (MAJ) and the Women in Maritime Association Caribbean (WiMAC) will share their career journeys, explaining whether they were mentored as they progressed within the maritime industry and the importance of this mentoring to their confidence and success.Claudia Grant, MAJ Deputy Director General and inaugural president of WiMAC said: “On this important day in our maritime calendar, as we celebrate the role of women in the maritime community, it is important to share our stories and examine what support the next generation needs to succeed.”Mrs
Training Caribbean Maritime Women
A new mentorship scheme to encourage the next generation of women into the maritime sector has been launched at the annual conference of the Women in Maritime Association, Caribbean (WiMAC), which is being held in Belize City, Belize (October 16-19).This type of scheme is consistent with International Maritime Organization (IMO)'s Women in Maritime program, which supports the participation of women in both shore-based and sea-going posts, in line with the goals outlined under the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 5: "Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls".
Half a Million Seafarers Benefited from 'Ship Visitor' App
Half a million seafarers have benefited from an app that helps them as they move from port to port around the world, according to the charity that invented it.Developed by international maritime charity Sailors’ Society, the International Christian Maritime Association (ICMA) Ship Visitor app is used internationally by 10 maritime welfare organizations, who provide chaplaincy to seafarers who are far from home.Sailors’ Society’s CEO Stuart Rivers said: “Real-time reporting enables port chaplains and ship visitors to deliver more joined-up care to the seafarers they meet.“It
US Women Dockworkers Accuse Shippers, Union of Discrimination
. Another woman with a complicated medical history said she tried to work during pregnancy for fear of losing seniority and suffered a miscarriage, according to her complaint. The dockworkers made the allegations with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission against the Pacific Maritime Association, which represents major shippers and terminal operators, as well as the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU), one of the women's lawyers said. Gillian Thomas, an American Civil Liberties Union lawyer representing the women, said the claims could ultimately involve hundreds
