L.A.-Long Beach terminals operate despite pickets
An employer group said cargo handling at marine terminals in Los Angeles and Long Beach is proceeding without interruption despite picketing by members of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union's Office Clerical Unit Local 63.
Four terminals were picketed during the day on Thursday, said the Los Angeles-Long Beach Harbor Employers Association. Other press reports said as many as six terminals had pickets.
When the picket lines went up after midnight on Thursday morning, ILWU longshoremen from three Los Angeles area local unions initially refused to cross picket lines, but an area arbitrator with jurisdiction over the longshoremen ordered them back to work early, ruling that Local 63 OCU had engaged in bad faith bargaining.
The OCU’s 600 members provide customer service and other support for cargo movement operations of companies at the two ports.
Stephen Berry, lead negotiator for the Los Angeles-Long Beach Harbor Employers Association, which represents 14 companies negotiating with the OCU, said longshoremen were told to go back to work at Yusen Terminals and Marine Terminals Corp. by 8 a.m. Thursday.
The clerical workers went on strike shortly after midnight, after authorizing a job action on Monday. A video of John Fageaux Jr., president of the OCU Local 63, obtaining the strike authorization viewable here.
On Monday, Fageaux issued a statement saying, “The main issue facing our members is job security. The company has attacked our efforts to maintain job security and stop the use of technology to outsource our work to foreign lands.”
But the employers association said Wednesday, “Despite union claims, the harbor employers have not transferred union-represented employee work overseas and have not proposed to do so.”
Berry said the OCU presented demands for a 21 percent pay increase and 32 percent wage and benefit increase less than four hours before their contract expired at midnight.
He said he made a counter offer to increase salaries by an additional $1 per hour over the life of a six-year contract, job security language, and language offering job protection for employees. He added the latest offer comes on top of a 10-month deferred $1 per hour wage increase that went into effect May 1. Berry said OCU members earn average annual wages of $96,900.
Berry is negotiating on behalf of 14 employers who have individual contracts with OCU Local 63.
He said he is continuing to offer to meet with the local, but has not yet heard a response.
The employers said earlier this week they were offering union members:
' Job security by retaining all existing current employees “despite inconsistent availability of sufficient work and a fragile recovery.”
' A 10 percent increase in pension benefit from $150 per month for each year of service to $165 per month for each year of service by the end of the contract.
' Maintenance of all in-network PPO health plan benefits. ' Chris Dupin