Matson, unions agree on new contract

Matson, unions agree on new contract    Matson Navigation Co. and three unions that represent crewmembers and pilots for the carrier reached tentative agreement on a new four-year work contract Sunday, avoiding the specter of a prolonged work stoppage, the Honolulu Advertiser reported.
   Terms of the new deal were not disclosed, but talks were apparently intensified when the American Radio Association, one of the unions involved in contract talks, went on strike Sunday, stranding a Matson vessel in Seattle.
   The deal must be ratified by the ARA as well as the International Organization of Masters, Mates & Pilots, and the Marine Engineers’ Beneficial Association. The previous contract expired at the end of last week and the unions had voted to strike if necessary.
   Matson is the primary carrier of containerized goods to Hawaii, handling roughly two-thirds of the island state's demand.