Labor secretary has ‘productive meeting’ with ILWU, PMA

Labor Secretary Thomas Perez met both parties accompanied by a mediator from the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service who has been assisting in the talks since early January.    The U.S. Labor Department said Secretary Thomas Perez had positive and productive meetings with the leadership of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union and the Pacific Maritime Association on Tuesday.
   “On behalf of President Obama, Secretary Perez made clear that the dispute has led to a very negative impact on the U.S. economy, and further delay risks tens of thousands of jobs and will cost American businesses hundreds of millions of dollars,” the department said in a statement released last night.
   Perez met both parties accompanied by a mediator from the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service who has been assisting in the talks since early January. 
   “While the parties have made tremendous progress, Secretary Perez stressed that it’s imperative the parties come to an immediate agreement to prevent further damage to our economy and further pain for American workers and their employers,” the statement said.
   In addition to Tuesday’s in-person meetings, the department said “Secretary Perez had calls with a number of state and local elected officials, including Gov. Jay Inslee of Washington, Gov. Jerry Brown of California, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, Seattle Mayor Ed Murray, Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia, Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf, Tacoma Mayor Marilyn Strickland and San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee to discuss the impact of the ongoing dispute on their local, import-driven economies.”
   Xochitl Hinojosa, a press secretary at the U.S. Department of Labor, said Perez will meet again today in San Francisco with both the ILWU and PMA.
   “He’ll urge the parties to resolve their dispute quickly at the bargaining table,” Hinojosa said. In addition, Perez will regularly brief senior administration officials on the negotiations.
   Meanwhile, the Port of Oakland in northern California said its containerized cargo volumes were down 32 percent across its terminals in January and blamed the decline on “slowdowns arising from a dispute between dockworkers and employers over a new contract.”
   The port authority reported Tuesday that containerized imports were down 39 percent from January 2014. Exports declined 26 percent.
   “With a decline in productivity and a breakdown in vessel schedules at all U.S. West Coast ports, cargo volumes are far from normal,” said Port of Oakland Maritime Director John Driscoll, in a statement.
   The port said importers have begun diverting containerized cargo to gateways outside the U.S. West Coast. These include ports in Canada, Mexico and the U.S. East Coast. It added that exporters have been challenged in shipping cargo to overseas markets because of vessel delays and diversions.
   Meanwhile large number of ships are waiting for berths at West Coast ports.
   According to the Marine Exchange of Southern California, there were 32 ships outside the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach on Wednesday morning at 7 a.m., including 23 containerships, seven bulk carriers, one general cargo ship and one reefer vessel.