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ITF lends backing to US dockers’ contract negotiations

2 July 2008

The ITF has announced its support for a US dockers’ union during crucial contract negotiations with its employer.

The ITF, which is closely monitoring negotiations between the ITF-affiliated International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) and the employer organisation, the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA), expressed its commitment to back the union at a recent Dockers’ Section conference in Stockholm, Sweden. The union’s current employment contract expired on 1 July.

Conference delegates unanimously passed a resolution pledging international solidarity. It also called on the PMA and its member companies to exhaust all negotiations options in good faith with the ILWU in order to avoid a conflict similar to the one that occurred in 2002. During the contract dispute that took place then, 25,000 workers were locked out by their employers.

The ILWU has announced that dockworkers will continue to load and unload cargo to keep ports operating while negotiations are underway and pledged to work hard to reach a fair and reasonable agreement. The union’s key contract issues include: good jobs that support working families; safer work with fewer injuries and deaths; cleaner air for workers on the docks and families in nearby communities as well as health and retirement benefits protection.

ITF General Secretary David Cockroft said: “There is significant interest in the West Coast talks amongst ITF unions and we are watching developments closely. We hope for a positive outcome to the negotiations soon.”

More information: http://contract2008.org/