In a statement from the ILWU on Thursday, June 16: ““The ILWU is pleased to have reached a tentative agreement with PMA last night…The next step is for us to follow our ratification procedures….This process takes a few months to complete. We will not be sharing details of the tentative agreement publicly until we have completed the ratification process.”"
This is good news, after tensions have been high for the last couple weeks, starting with Long Beach/LA ports in early June, and to disruptions in the Seattle/Tacoma ports over the weekend of June 10-11.
The deal was reached with the assistance of Acting Labor Secretary Julie Su, and if ratified by the ILWU, would give a new 6-year contract to over 22,000 dockworkers across 29 ports.
An article published by the Associated Press describes that the Port of Long Beach in May was the busiest month this year, with projections continuing to climb into the coming months. Karen Bass, LA Mayor, says 1 in 15 jobs in the city are generated from port work.
Audit Logistics is hopeful with this tentative agreement, as this will continue to keep freight flowing in and out of the busy West Coast ports. We will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates as the ILWU goes through the ratification process.