The International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) and the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA) announced in a joint statement on February 23 that they continue to negotiate and “remain hopeful of reaching a deal soon.” The parties have agreed not to discuss negotiations in the media as collective bargaining continues.
Negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement covering more than 22,000 dockworkers at 29 West Coast ports began on May 10, 2022.
The parties have reached a tentative agreement on certain key issues, including health benefits, and remain committed to resolving remaining issues as expeditiously as possible. Talks are continuing on an ongoing basis until an agreement is reached.
The statement said that “news articles purporting to know what is happening at the bargaining table are speculative at best.”
The announcement comes as the US West Coast ports continue to handle lower volumes relative to the country’s East Coast and Gulf Coast ports, which have benefited from both congestion at the height of the pandemic at the West Coast ports and uncertainty among carriers and shippers as the West Coast labour talks drag on.
