LA-Long Beach Strike Continues
UPDATE: Wednesday 6:17am EST: ILWU STRIKE ENDS:
Striking harbor clerks at the LA-Long Beach port complex have reached a deal with management early Wednesday morning, which will end the labor strike that had lasted more than a week.
Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa who appeared with representatives from both labor and management, announced a deal had been reached after hours of negotiations.
"I am pleased to announce that an agreement has been reached between labor and management that will bring to an end the eight-day strike that has cost our local economy billions of dollars," Villaraigosa said. The terms of the agreement were not immediately known.
The 800 clerks represented by the International Longshore and Warehouse Union struck against the Employers Association and its shipping lines and cargo terminals. The labor strike also impacted thousands of truckers, railroad, warehouse and other workers were also temporarily out of work.
The ILWU complained that employers were trying to outsource union jobs and that its members have been working without a contract since July 2010.
Tuesday Press Time:
As of Tuesday, the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach are still closed. An Action by International Longshore and Warehouse Union's clerical workers has idled 10 or 14 terminals. ILWU Local 63 has been on strike since November 27th against 14 shipping companies and terminal operators.
The dock workers are honoring the strike. LA Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has been pushing for both sides to resolved their issues and re-open the port complexes, which handled more than 13 million containers last year.
President Obama could impose the Taft-Harley Act to get both sides working again as well.
Key points: L.A./ Long Beach Port Strike
• 400 shipping clerks walked off job
• Workers at the port are responsible for tracking the progress of shipments in and out of nation’s busiest port
• L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa asks federal government for help
• Mayor flew back early from Latin America where he was discussing Southern California’s port operations to various manufacturers
• Mayor requested federal mediator Tuesday morning
• Mediator could arrive as early as Tuesday to begin negotiations
• Union is worried about outsourcing jobs
• Clerical workers continue to walk picket lines
• Strikers are represented by the International Longshore and Warehouse Union and 10,000 members from other sister unions refused to cross picket lines as well
• John Fageaux, spokesman for Local 63 of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union, said his organization backed down from a demand where the companies rehire 51 positions that the union stated had been outsourced
• Stephen Berry is an attorney representing the shipping companies
• The stoppage at 10 of the port's 14 terminals will not affect holiday shipments