SAN FRANCISCO — The Pacific Maritime Association and International Longshore and Warehouse Union have reached a tentative labor agreement covering 29 West Coast ports, ending more than a year of negotiations in a dispute that had seen work stoppages at major ports of entry.
The settlement has major implications for the rail industry given the significance of intermodal traffic to and from western ports.
The two sides announced the tentative agreement in a joint statement Wednesday evening, saying it was reached with assistance from acting U.S. Labor Secretary Julie Su. Details were not released. The six-year deal is subject to ratification by both sides.
“We are pleased to have reached an agreement that recognizes the heroic efforts and personal sacrifices of the ILWU workforce in keeping our ports operating,” said PMA President James McKenna and ILWU President Willie Adams. “We are also pleased to turn our full attention back to the operation of the West Coast Ports.”
Su, in a statement, said the tentative agreement covering 22,000 workers demonstrates that “collective bargaining — though sometimes difficult — works. Thanks to the hard work and perseverance of the leadership of the ILWU and the PMA, the tentative agreement delivers important stability for workers, for employers, and for our country’s supply chain.”
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce said last week that a work stoppage at the ports could be devastating to the U.S. economy, given that the West Coast ports account for over 50% of all U.S. imports.
Worker no-shows in protests over the lack of progress in negotiations had shut down the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach on April 6-7, while similar shutdowns occurred at those ports, Oakland, Tacoma, and Seattle on June 2.
Workers had been without a contract since July 1, 2022.
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