West Coast dockworkers, employers reach tentative six-year contract
The ILWU and the Pacific Maritime Association reached a tentative deal in June 2023 covering workers at all 29 U.S. West Coast ports after more than a year of talks.
In June 2023, the International Longshore and Warehouse Union and the Pacific Maritime Association announced a tentative agreement on a new six-year contract covering workers at all 29 West Coast ports. The deal was announced June 14.
The parties said it was reached with help from Acting U.S. Secretary of Labor Julie Su. They did not release details and said the agreement was subject to ratification by both sides.
A long negotiation
According to the union, its negotiating committee opened talks with the PMA on May 10, 2022, and kept bargaining past the contract's July 1, 2022, expiration. A tentative agreement on health benefits was announced July 26, 2022, and agreement on other key issues was reached April 20, 2023.
The union said the talks lasted 13 months. ILWU International President Willie Adams called them "one of the longest contract negotiations we have ever faced." The union said Su flew in from Washington to attend the final days of the talks. Alongside the coastwide contract, local supplemental agreements were negotiated to address issues at individual ports.
Statements
In a joint statement, PMA President James McKenna and Adams said they were pleased to have reached an agreement that "recognizes the heroic efforts and personal sacrifices of the ILWU workforce in keeping our ports operating." They added that they were pleased to turn their full attention back to running the ports.
Su said the agreement covered 22,000 workers and 29 West Coast ports and "delivers important stability for workers, for employers and for our country's supply chain."
Next steps
Under the union's process, the tentative agreement first went to the Coast Longshore Caucus, scheduled to meet in July, to decide whether to recommend it to members. If recommended, the full agreement would be mailed to members and discussed at local meetings, followed by a secret-ballot ratification vote.
What it meant for carriers
For drayage carriers and the truckers and railroads serving West Coast terminals, the announcement brought an end in sight to more than a year of bargaining without a contract. The deal still had to be ratified, but both sides said they were turning their attention back to port operations. The Labor Department called it important stability for the country's supply chain.