Contract negotiations between union and West Coast port employers ‘moving forward,’ says US Labor Secretary

Negotiations between the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) and the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA) to achieve a new labour agreement are “moving forward,” said US Labor Secretary Martin Walsh this week. Walsh told Reuters that he gets weekly updates from the PMA on progress of the talks. They “continually tell me that we’re in a good place,” he said.

The current contract between the two parties is set to expire on Friday, but both sides have said they will continue to meet after that deadline as required. They have also said they will not stop work at the ports, welcome news to shippers who have dealt with significant disruptions over the last couple of years.

Walsh appears confident that the talks will be successful. “There’s been no issues that I’m aware of that have come up that have made either side concerned,” he said.