On the 10th of June President Joe Biden met with the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) and the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA) in San Pedro, California. Several issues, including supply chain congestion were discussed amongst the parties to reach a collective bargaining agreement that is fair to both parties.
The agreement is between employers who operate marine terminals and shipping lines represented by the PMA and the dockworkers represented by ILWU. More than 22,000 dockworkers at all U.S. West Coast ports are covered by the contract. The current collective bargaining agreement is due to expire at 5:00 p.m. on July 1, 2022. Talks for the new agreement began May 10th in San Francisco and show no signs of halting until an agreement is met.
PMA and the ILWU agree that the possibility of reaching a new agreement before expiration is highly unlikely. This timing is typical, and cargo operations continue beyond the expiration of the previous contract. Neither party is preparing for a strike/ lockout currently despite many speculatory news reports. Both remain adamant and focused on reaching an agreement.
If you have any questions, please contact your local Noatum Logistics representative.