ILA Prepares for Future Coastwide Talks
The International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) has requested its local unions to begin selecting negotiators for the up incoming negotiations on port-specific issues, with a goal to extend the master contract covering all ports along the US East and Gulf coasts. The ILA is planning to work on local contract talks as it seeks to avoid any disruptions on the East and Gulf coasts that could derail negotiations overextending the master contract ahead of the current deal’s 2024 expiry.
In an ILA memo dated Sept. 20th, the ILA said, “In an effort to maximize the possibility of reaching a peaceful settlement on both local and master contract issues, negotiations on local conditions in ports from Maine to Texas will begin shortly,” In summary the ILA said local unions need to start electing negotiators to bargain for local work contracts, with those negotiations expected to take place between Dec.15th and Feb.14th, 2023. Once those local talks have been completed, the ILA said the local representatives will then take part in master contract talks through the union’s Wage Scale Committee.
ILWU Work Slowdowns at Oakland, Seattle and Tacoma as ILWU contract negotiations continue
Tuesday, the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) accused terminal operator SSA Marine of conspiring with the machinists union to “trigger” a National Labor Relations Board hearing into its jurisdictional claim over approximately 25 port mechanics jobs at the Port of Seattle’s Terminal 5. The reason for the accusation is a letter sent by the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAMAW) on Monday 25th, 2022 to the White House, asking President Joe Biden and Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh to recognize how the ILWU is allegedly attempting to use the jurisdictional dispute in Seattle to gain leverage over the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA). Due to this week back and forth between the machinists union, and SSA tension levels will only rise, further delaying the negotiation process, which began four months ago on May 10th and appear far from a solution.
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