Port operator calls off union lockout

LOS ANGELES (Sept. 20, 2002) — The Pacific Maritime Association said yesterday it will not lock out longshoreman at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, Calif., as long as operations at the port complex continue at normal levels.

The PMA alleges that International Longshore and Warehouse Union workers have been conducting a “selective” strike this week as negotiations for a new labour deal drag on.

“After a week of withholding labour, the union dispatched workers as PMA requested,” said association president and chief executive Joe Miniace in a statement. “This is a positive sign, and I am hopeful this signals that the ILWU and PMA will be able to work together toward a new coastwide contract that positions our ports for growth in the new century.

West Coast port employers have been negotiating for five months to reach a contract covering dockworkers at 29 U.S. ports stretching from San Diego to Seattle. The ports handle more than $300 billion worth of goods annually.