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Port Workers Threaten To Strike
Date: July 14, 2007
The union representing the 930 clerical workers who handle much
of the paperwork involved in loading and unloading ships at the
ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach said Friday that they would
strike if a contract agreement was not reached by tonight at midnight.
If the threat is carried out, thousands of other unionized dockworkers
could honor the picket lines. That would halt work at the ports
— which handle more than 40% of the nation's containerized
cargo — just as the heavy shipping season for holiday merchandise
begins to gather steam. Late Friday afternoon, talks continued
between the office clerical unit of Local 63 of the International
Longshore and Warehouse Union and 14 of the 17 ocean shipping
lines and terminal operators with contracts under negotiation.
A spokesman for the larger 15,000-member union said that the clerical
workers could expect their support. Representatives from both
sides vowed to continue working toward an agreement. The negotiations
have continued with few breaks since the workers' contract expired
July 1. On June 29, the union's rank and file voted unanimously
to give their leaders the right to call a strike if talks failed.
Members of the office clerical unit handle the documentation and
paperwork for the shipping containers moving into and out of the
ports. Although called clerks, they are separate from the ILWU's
marine clerks, who supervise the loading and unloading of cargo.
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