US port workers reach tentative agreement
15 / 06 / 2023
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The Pacific Maritime Association and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union today announced a tentative agreement on a new six-year contract covering workers at all 29 West Coast ports.
The deal will now need to be ratified by both parties. Over recent weeks, reports suggested that unions had been withholding labour.
In the past, strike action at US ports has resulted in a spike in airfreight demand as firms look to avoid disruption to shipping services.
“We are pleased to have reached an agreement that recognizes the heroic efforts and personal sacrifices of the ILWU workforce in keeping our ports operating,” said port group Pacific Maritime Association president James McKenna and International Longshore Workers Union president Willie Adams in a joint statement.
“We are also pleased to turn our full attention back to the operation of the west coast ports.”
