ILWU office workers set end-of-week walkout deadline
Two-week-old contract negotiation between the union representing maritime clerical workers and West Coast marine terminal and shipping lines have made no apparent progress since last week, and the union has set the end of the week as a deadline for progress to be made.
The Local 63 Office Clericals Unit of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union, without a contract since the end of June and frustrated by the lack of movement of key issues, said it is ready to call a walkout.
“We’re ready (this week) to take economic action if we have to,” John Fageaux Jr., president of Local 63 OCU told the Long beach Press Telegram. “If things don’t get settled this week, (an employee walkout is) likely.”
The union and maritime firms have been in ongoing negotiations since the workers' current contract expired. A unanimous vote last week by the Local 63 OCU members authorized union officials to call a strike if negotiations failed.
The Local 63 OCU represents clerical and office workers for 22 shipping line and terminal facilities in the Long Beach and Los Angeles area. While members of the ILWU and also referred to as clerks, the OCU does not represent the more prominent ILWU dockworkers, who are gearing up for their own contract negotiations early next year.
Local 63 OCU officials reported that they had the backing of the larger 7,000-member union locals that represent dockworkers at the neighboring ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles and that the larger group had agreed to honor OCU picket lines if a strike is called. The impact that the more powerful union 'honoring' the OCU picket lines will have on port operations is unknown.