August 1 - US West Coast longshore workers have completed voting on whether to extend their collective bargaining agreement (CBA) with the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA), with early projections indicating that the three-year extension will pass.
According to the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU), early reporting from local unions indicates the contract extension with the PMA will pass by 67 percent.
If ratified, as is expected, the ILWU-PMA agreement, which was scheduled to expire on July 1, 2019, will expire on July 1, 2022. The official results will be announced on August 4.
The ILWU, which represents approximately 20,000 longshore workers at 29 West Coast ports, said the contract extension would raise wages, maintain health benefits, and increase pensions.
The Port of Oakland, California, said that an extended ILWU-PMA agreement would ease concerns about labour management disputes. The port claims that since the last West Coast contract was signed in 2015, labour relations have been good and productivity high.
"We feel that a decision to extend the contract reflects improving relations and performance up and down the West Coast," explained Chris Lytle, Port of Oakland executive director.
