PMA and ILWU representatives reached a six-year tentative labor agreement after months of negotiations as peak shipping season approaches.
June 6, 2023
Long Beach, California – On June 14, 2023, the ILWU and PMA announced a tentative labor agreement for dockworkers along the West Coast, after months of negotiations that featured two work stoppages earlier this year that interrupted operations at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.
Optimism for a new labor agreement seemed at an all-time low until increased concerns were raised from various industry groups such as the National Retail Federation and the National Association of Manufacturers, exerting pressure on the administration of President Biden to step in to avoid any disruptions as peak holiday shipping season approaches.
President Biden’s Labor Secretary Julie Su, who is widely respected by union and business leaders alike, flew to San Francisco last week to meet with both PMA and ILWU representatives, highlighting the importance this labor agreement is to the nation.
The consequences of a labor lockout from the PMA, or a worker strike by the ILWU, would have had disastrous effects on an American economy suffering from high inflation and weakening consumer spending.
With a tentative labor agreement reached, importers, exporters, and carriers alike can focus on preparing for the much-anticipated peak shipping season later this year without the fear of interruptions in operations at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.
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