Catherwood LibraryILR School

Both the Pacific Maritime Association and the International Longshoremen and Warehouse Union have admitted that it is unlikely that an agreement will be reached before their current contract expires on June 30th. The news has many worried that there may be a repeat of the 2002 negotiations in which approximately $10 billion was lost from the U.S. economy due to a 10-day lockout of the longshoremen. The Association and the Longshoremen represent the management and labor sides of every major port along the entire U.S. West coast. In the past, the longshoremen have negotiated some of the best benefits and pay of any group of blue collar workers in the U.S., but the Association says that those costs are unsustainable and is seeking concessions, especially with regard to healthcare and pensions costs.