Dock Fight
West Coast dockworkers and shippers are expected to head to the negotiating table to hammer out a new contract by the end of June. The International Longshore and Warehouse Union, which represents the dockworkers, and the Pacific Maritime Association, a group of shippers and cargo distributors, are at odds on a number of issues, including new security measures, new technologies for boosting efficiency and the profits gained from greater efficiencies. If agreements can’t be made, the workers could shut down ports in Los Angeles; Long Beach; Oakland; Portland, Ore.; and Tacoma, Wash. Negotiations are set to begin Nov. 13 in San Francisco.
