Containerised cargo is moving through the Port of Los Angeles despite efforts by unionised dockworkers to disrupt operations while fighting for higher wages from terminal employers and ocean carriers, according to the port’s executive director.
The International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) and employers in the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA) have been negotiating a new labour contract since May 2022 to replace one that expired in July of that year.
The PMA has accused the dockworkers union of disrupting operations at West Coast ports on several occasions in March, April and June while both sides work toward coming up with a new contract.
Most recently, the PMA accused ILWU Local 13, which represents dockworkers at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, of withholding lashers — workers that tie and untie containerships to the docks — from both ports on Monday.
The employees “voiced their displeasure” by keeping some workers off the docks at these ports since talks broke down on 1 June, but cargo flow has remained steady, Port of Los Angeles executive director Gene Seroka said.
“There are delays in moving but, all in all, given the circumstances, cargo is flowing pretty well,” he said during a press conference on Tuesday.
“These past couple of weeks have been challenging and at times confusing for all of us out here at the West Coast ports, challenging indeed for service providers, cargo owners and so many others.
“I think it’s fair to say that while the situation remains fluid, we’ve largely been able to function close to normal.”
He said the Port of Los Angeles is running at about 70% capacity, however, as retailers opt to ship containers to East Coast and US Gulf Coast ports and consumers prefer services over goods due to inflation and economic uncertainty.
“It is true the cargo was moved away because folks are really concerned about this contract, yet we’ve only had several days where operations were not as fluid or smooth as we like to present on a regular basis.”
The PMA has accused the ILWU of several other disruption tactics , such as making false health and safety claims, holding unscheduled inspections and coordinating breaks in such a way to cause work stoppages.
“For months, the ILWU has staged disruptive work actions targeting the West Coast’s largest ports,” the PMA said in a statement.
The ILWU has refuted these accusations and said the PMA is using the media to disseminate one-sided information that is designed to influence the negotiations to its favour.
“Despite what you are hearing from PMA, West Coast ports are open as we continue to work under our expired collective bargaining agreement,” ILWU president Willie Adams said in a statement.
Regardless of what each side is saying, the Northwest Seaport Alliance, which represents the ports of Seattle and Tacoma, is eager for them to reach an agreement and get back to uninterrupted work.
“The outcome of these negotiations remains important to us as our gateway supports more than 58,000 jobs across the region and provides a critical gateway for the export of Washington state products to Asia,” the ports group said in a statement.
