ILWU approves new West Coast waterfront labor pact

ILWU approves new West Coast waterfront labor pact International Longshore and Warehouse Union members have approved a new West Coast waterfront contract with shipping line and terminal operator employers by a 3-to-1 margin.
   The ILWU, which represents more than 25,000 dockers at 29 ports on the West Coast, announced the results of the membership vote on Friday.
   Negotiations on the six-year contract began in March and continued through July. A tentative agreement was reached with the Pacific Maritime Association, which represents the dockers' industry employers, on July 28.
   Under terms of the new contract, which took effect Saturday, ILWU workers will receive total wage increases of $5 per hour over the next six years. The contract also slightly increases the pension plan, guarantees no PMA scale-back of existing medical benefits, and various items relating to job security and safety.
   The agreement also provides that the PMA would not seek 'discipline, grievances or legal claims against the union of its members for any acts of alleged misconduct related to the negotiations' that may have occurred between July 1, when the previous contract expired, and July 28, when the new contract was given tentative approval.