WEST coast maritime employers and the dockers union are unlikely to reach a deal by July 1 when contract expires, but neither side expects strikes or slowdowns as a result, reports Bloomberg.
‘Neither party is preparing for a strike or a lockout,’ the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) and the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA), which represents more than 70 terminal operators and ocean carriers, said in a joint statement.
The joint commitment to keeping cargo moving throughout the process would avoid a repeat of the delays and congestion that hampered ports from San Diego to Bellingham, Washington during the 2014 talks that extended into 2015.
Officials from the ILWU and PMA met with US President Joe Biden during his visit to the port of Los Angeles, discussing issues ‘including supply-chain congestion and their shared commitment to reach a collective bargaining agreement that is fair to both parties,’ they said.
