California Apparel News

After taking a three-day break, longshore workers and their employers were planning to get back at the negotiating table to hammer out a new six-year contract that expired on July 1.

The International Longshore and Warehouse Union, which represents some 13,600 registered workers at 29 West Coast ports, and the Pacific Maritime Union, whose 72 members include shipping lines and terminal operators, had been negotiating since May 12. But on July 7, they agreed to take a 72-hour break while ILWU representatives attended unrelated negotiations taking place in the Pacific Northwest.

The break was scheduled to last from 8 a.m. on July 8 to 8 a.m. on July 11. During that time, both sides agreed to extend the previous six-year contract to July 11.

Meanwhile, independent truck drivers who pick up cargo at the Port of Los Angeles and the Port of Long Beach have been picketing various terminals on the waterfront. On July 8, longshore workers at three terminals decided to honor the picket lines. Work stopped for two hours at the Evergreen and APL terminals at the Port of Los Angeles. Dock workers also didn’t work for two hours at the Long Beach Container Terminal at the Port of Long Beach.

But an arbitrator quickly ruled that the dockworkers’ contract didn’t allow them to leave the job in sympathy with the drivers.

The truckers who were still on strike on July 10 complain they are classified as independent truck drivers instead of company employees, which means they don’t get paid as much and don’t qualify for benefits such as health coverage and Social Security payments. The drivers have been targeting three truck firms: Total Transportation Services Inc., Green Fleet Systems and Pacific 9 Transportation.

About 15 to 20 truckers were still picketing the Evergreen, APL and Yusen terminals at the Port of Los Angeles. “Operations there are near normal. Occasionally, they get slowed at the gates by pickets,” said Port of Los Angeles spokesperson Phillip Sanfield.