The International Longshore & Warehouse Union (ILWU) and the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA) reached a tentative contract agreement for dockworkers on the US West Coast.
WHEW! That was a tough one, and we can all now breathe a collective sigh of relief. The weeks prior to the agreement were especially challenging as tensions rose along with work slowdowns, labor shortages and walk-offs.
The agreement is a six-year contact, which is retroactive to July 1st of last year when the previous contract expired. It raises base pay 32% and includes $72M in “hero bonuses” for keeping freight moving during the pandemic.
What is next? The tentative agreement now gets reviewed and approved by the 70 member companies of the PMA as well as the 22,000 members of the 29 locals of the ILWU. The ILWU’s caucus approval process generally takes about three months to complete.
We are happy to have this tentative agreement in place and peace restored to the waterfront.