Tentative Deal Reached in West Coast Ports Labor Contract

U.S. West Coast dockworkers are expected to vote on a tentative deal reached Wednesday between employers and the union, which would put an end to more than a year of negotiations.  

Terms of the deal, outside of the contract being good for six years, are not being released. The contract is ultimately subject to ratification from both sides. 

The Pacific Maritime Association, which represents employers, and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union, negotiating for more than 22,000 workers along 29 U.S. West Coast ports, reached the deal with the help of Acting U.S. Secretary of Labor Julie Su. 

“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,” PMA President James McKenna and ILWU President Willie Adams said in a joint statement released late Wednesday. “We are also pleased to turn our full attention back to the operations of the West Coast ports.” 

The ports of Los Angeles, Long Beach, Oakland, Seattle and Tacoma have seen slowdowns in more recent weeks with the PMA alleging the ILWU was to blame for the disruptions by not dispatching workers for their shifts. 

The union continued to say in response that ports were open and continuing to operate. 

Wednesday’s tentative deal comes just a few weeks ahead of what would have been the one-year mark for when workers’ last contract expired on July 1. They had been working without a new contract since then. 

The prolonged talks prompted industry groups, such as the National Retail Federation and American Apparel & Footwear Association, to call on the Biden administration more recently to intervene and help the two sides reach a conclusion in hopes of avoiding major supply chain disruptions. 

“On behalf of the retail industry, we are relieved to see the parties have come to a tentative mutual agreement on a long-term contract for labor operations at the West Coast ports, ending over a year of negotiations and uncertainty,” NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay said in a statement on the tentative deal Thursday. “A new agreement provides stability to the supply chain and assurance to the millions of businesses and employees who rely on smooth and efficient operations from the West Coast ports.”

Shay called on the two sides to “quickly” ratify the agreement and further added, “It is essential to begin the negotiation process early for the next labor contract and avoid a future lapse in continuity.”