SENATORS ASK WHITE HOUSE NOT TO INTERVENE IN WEST COAST DOCK LABOR TALKS

SENATORS ASK WHITE HOUSE NOT TO INTERVENE IN WEST COAST DOCK LABOR TALKS    A group of democratic senators urged the Bush administration in a recent letter to refrain from intervening in the West Coast dock labor contract negotiations between the Pacific Maritime Association and International Longshore and Warehouse Union.
   “They have successfully settled every contract negotiation for the last three decades with no disruption to the transportation goods,” said the letter, which was initiated by Sen. Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts. “We strongly believe that the parties should be left to resolve their differences through good-faith bargaining.”
   Other senators who signed the letter were Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer of California, Ron Wyden of Oregon, Patty Murray of Washington, Daniel K. Inouye and Daniel K. Akaka of Hawaii, and Maria Cantwell of Washington.
   “We believe that any such intervention would be harmful to the swift resolution of this negotiation,” the senators said.