L.A. Port Chief Predicts Movement in Contract Talks
Contract negotiations between West Coast port operators and dockworkers are progressing toward a tentative agreement in November, the head of the Port of Los Angeles said.
Executive Director Gene Seroka said he speaks daily with negotiators for the Pacific Maritime Association and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union, which together handle almost half of all U.S. maritime trade.
“Both sides have a mutual respect, which I think is very important,” Seroka said Oct. 23 at a business luncheon in Los Angeles, adding that a tentative deal may be reached within a few weeks.
ILWU spokesman Craig Merrilees and PMA spokesman Wade Gates declined to provide an update. The sides announced a provisional deal on health-care expenses in late August without disclosing terms.
Seroka said a successful outcome is critical to reducing bottlenecks in shipping and trucking at his port and others.
“Port congestion can be fixed if people are willing to roll up their sleeves,” he told about 100 business leaders.
The Port of Los Angeles accounted for 31.2% of tonnage entering the West Coast last year, down slightly from 2012, according to a PMA report. The neighboring Port of Long Beach is the second-largest on the West Coast, accounting for 29.7% of volume.
