Labor talks between the Office Clerical Union (OCU) at the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles resumed at 1 pm Wednesday, averting a work stoppage that could have slowed the flow of 40 percent of the container goods imported to the United States from Asia.
Clerical workers have been working for a year without a contract because they can’t reach an agreement over job security with the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA), which represents the major shipping lines operating at the ports. The workers reportedly earn an average salary of nearly $100,000 a year plus benefits for handling the extensive documentation that accompanies imports and exports. The shipping lines want to deploy software that allows their customers to view and handle more of the paperwork electronically.
The Outdoor Industry Association reported Wednesday that the International Longshoreman and Warehouse Union (ILWU) will likely honor the OCU’s strike lines, work stoppage or labor action in a move that may cause the PMA to lock out the ILWU. If the PMA locks out the ILWU, there is a possibility that this becomes a West Coast wide labor action.
In addition, East Coast and Gulf Coast ports are facing their own potential work stoppage at the end of September, as negotiations have broken down between U.S. Maritime Alliance (USMX) and the International Longshoreman’s Association (ILA). The two sides are said to be very far apart on any deal at this point.
