Negotiations are currently taking place among the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) Local 63 Office Clerical Unit (OCU) office workers and their employers – terminal operators and shipping lines, represented by the Harbor Employers Association.
The OCU have expressed concerns that port employers are outsourcing jobs to out-of-state workers because processing of shipping documentation is not required or necessary to take place on-site.
OFFICE CLERICAL UNIT NEGOTIATIONS
The six-year contract between the parties is set to expire on June 30, 2023. As the contract deadline approaches, U.S. shippers and retailers are worried that cargo flow will be disrupted should these negotiations become increasingly complicated. In the past, dockworkers have honored picket lines placed by the OCU at the marine terminals, which remain a high concern.
WHAT ABOUT THE ILWU NEGOTIATIONS
The OCU negotiations will not address the substantial issues at hand until the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA) and ILWU have concluded their own negotiations regarding a new contract for West Coast longshoremen.
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