ILWU, WEST COAST PORT EMPLOYERS CONCLUDE 6-YEAR LABOR AGREEMENT

ILWU, WEST COAST PORT EMPLOYERS CONCLUDE 6-YEAR LABOR AGREEMENT    The International Longshoremen and Warehouse Union and the Pacific Maritime Association, which represents port employers on the U.S. West Coast, have concluded a six-year labor agreement.
   Following six months of tense negotiations and a damaging 12-day port shutdown on the West Coast in early October, both parties came to an agreement during the weekend. The deal includes the introduction of new technology and improved conditions for longshore workers.
   The ILWU said the new contract is a win-win for West Coast ports, workers and consumers in the United States.
   The contract replaces a agreement that expired on July 1.
   ILWU leaders urged ratification of the proposed agreement, saying it upholds the core principles the union brought to the negotiating table.
   The agreement is subject to ratification by the ILWU longshore division caucus and a secret ballot vote of ILWU registered longshore workers and marine clerks.
   The longshore caucus, an assembly of delegates from all locals on the West Coast, is scheduled to meet in San Francisco the week of Dec. 9-13.
   “A membership ratification vote is expected to be completed expeditiously,” a spokesman for the union said.
   The union also said the new six-year contract “brings much needed stability to the shipping industry.”
   The Pacific Maritime Association confirmed that it and the ILWU have reached what it described as “a tentative historic six-year agreement” on Saturday.
   On Sunday, the White House issued a statement expressing its support for the port agreement.
   “I am very pleased that labor and management have reached an agreement concerning the West Coast ports,” President George W. Bush said. “This agreement is good for workers, good for employers, and it’s good for America’s economy.”
   Bush congratulated labor and management for working together to successfully resolve their disagreements.
   “I also commend the efforts of Labor Secretary Elaine Chao and the Director of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, Peter Hurtgen, for their tireless efforts in bringing this matter to a successful conclusion,” he added.
   In October, President Bush had ordered an injunction under the Taft-Hartley Act that required employers and labor to resume normal operations, and work with the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service to resolve the dispute.