Pacific Maritime Association

I N D U S T RY A S S E S S M E N T S Changes in tonnage rates are not as easily explained. Tonnage rates are dependent on estimates of both hours and tonnage. Given a constant benefits cost, the total dollar obligation of the tonnage sector will increase as the estimated number of hours paid decreases, but if the estimated tonnage handled increases sufficiently, tonnage assessment rates may actually decrease-even though increased benefits costs cause the hourly assessment rate and the total tonnage sector obligation to increase. The PMA Board of Directors approves the assessment rates required to fund collectively bargained fringe benefit plans. The Board also approves PMA Cargo Dues assessment rates that fund the operations of PMA. The PMA portion also pays for operation of the Joint Port Labor Relations Committees' expenses (dispatch halls), industry training programs, legal settlements, and other industry expenses. Assessment Rate History The waterfront organizations that preceded PMA used tonnage as a means of funding the internal operations of their organizations well before the turn of the last century. The first ILWU employee benefit was a paid vacation that was funded based upon an hourly assessment paid by each employer. The vacation plan for longshore workers, was instituted on January 1, 1946 with a 7.3¢ hourly assessment. A welfare benefits plan, the first under the auspices of the newly formed PMA, was added August 1, 1949 with a 3¢ per hour assessment. A Pension Plan was added effective July 1, 1951 and was funded by a 15¢ per hour contribution. The first tonnage assessment for a benefit was collected to fund the Walking Bosses'/Foremen's Mechanization Fund effective August 10, 1959. Additional "Mechanization & Modernization" (M&M) tonnage assessments were collected for the Longshoremen's and Clerks' Mechanization Fund effective January 16, 1961. Shortly after the termination of the M&M Plan on June 30, 1971, the Pay Guarantee Plan was negotiated and was funded primarily by tonnage assessments. Tonnage assessments were used to fund pension, welfare, and other benefits beginning in 1980. During the last six months of 1983, all benefits were funded by assessments on hours; only the CFS plan was funded by tonnage. On December 14, 1983 the Memorandum of Agreement Concerning Assessments to Pay ILWU-PMA Employee Benefit Costs was approved and implemented. Revenue Tonnage Reporting All waterborne cargo revenue tonnage loaded and discharged in California, Oregon and Washington ports, for which persons were paid in connection with its movement under the terms of ILWU-PMA collective bargaining agreements, is required to be reported to PMA. Cargo revenue tonnage is subject to assessments to fund that portion of the collectively bargained fringe benefits costs that are not funded by hourly assessments and to fund other industry obligations. Data generated by the tonnage reporting system is used to determine membership voting strength, to measure terminal and port productivity, Hourly Assessment Offshore and Intercoastal Assessment Rates – Benefits Plans Benefits L/S and Walking Steady Container General Lumber autos & CFS Fund MCWO La/LB Crane Plans Clerk 401(k) Boss 401(k) Walking Bosses RU/teU Cargo & Logs trucks Bulk RU/teU RU/teU* RU/teU** 1985 $6.74 – – – $14.549 $0.856 $0.856 $0.069 $0.017 $1.301 – – 1987 7.52 – – – 13.775 0.810 0.810 0.066 0.016 0.785 – – 1989 7.52 – – – 13.762 0.783 0.783 0.063 0.016 0.798 – – 1990 7.52 – – – 13.306 0.783 0.783 0.063 0.016 1.458 – – 1991 7.52 – – – 12.674 0.746 0.746 0.060 0.015 1.014 – – 1992 8.81 – – – 13.221 0.778 0.778 0.063 0.015 0.490 – – 1993 10.01 – – – 14.790 0.870 0.870 0.070 0.017 0.350 – – 1994 11.70 – $0.50 – 16.700 0.982 0.982 0.080 0.019 0.880 – – 1995 9.30 – 0.50 – 9.790 0.576 0.576 0.047 0.011 0.660 – – 1996 10.87 – 0.50 – 11.390 0.670 0.670 0.054 0.013 0.520 – – 1997 11.53 – 2.00 – 9.980 0.587 0.587 0.048 0.012 0.100 – 1998 10.34 – 1.84 – 7.350 0.433 0.433 0.035 0.009 0.310 – – 1999 10.34 $1.00 3.84 – 7.350 0.433 0.433 0.035 0.009 0.310 – – 2001 11.04 0.83 3.49 – 6.280 0.370 0.370 0.030 0.007 0.190 – – 2002 13.11 0.84 3.49 – 12.120 0.713 0.713 0.058 0.014 – – – 2003 14.08 0.81 3.77 – 13.470 0.792 0.792 0.064 0.016 0.100 $0.280 – 2004 15.62 0.82 3.82 – 13.650 0.803 0.803 0.065 0.016 0.120 – – 2005 15.71 0.87 1.35 – 14.790 0.870 0.870 0.700 0.017 0.090 – – 2006 15.96 0.88 3.65 – 14.180 0.834 0.834 0.068 0.017 0.050 – – 2007 17.72 0.88 3.04 – 16.460 0.968 0.968 0.078 0.019 0.040 – – 2008 19.99 0.90 3.67 – 18.440 1.085 1.085 0.088 0.021 0.120 0.160 – 2009 27.01 1.14 4.95 – 24.400 1.435 1.435 0.116 0.028 0.080 1.440 – 2010 27.94 0.77 3.55 – 24.910 1.465 1.465 0.119 0.029 0.080 – – 2011 28.54 0.74 2.45 – 24.570 1.445 1.445 0.117 0.029 0.120 – – 2012 28.85 1.00 3.87 – 25.680 1.510 1.510 0.122 0.030 0.040 – – 2013 33.98 0.92 3.38 – 29.380 1.728 1.728 0.140 0.034 0.050 0.120 – 2014 33.98 0.92 3.38 – 29.380 1.728 1.728 0.140 0.034 0.050 0.120 – 2015 34.16 0.78 2.93 $6.06 29.260 1.721 1.721 0.139 0.034 0.100 0.240 $0.050 2016 34.03 0.88 3.04 6.06 28.150 1.656 1.656 0.134 0.033 0.300 0.630 0.020 2017 34.06 0.87 2.76 5.86 28.700 1.688 1.688 0.137 0.033 0.120 0.380 0.130 2018 $34.17 $0.78 $3.17 $6.18 $29.100 $1.712 $1.712 $0.139 $0.034 $0.080 $0.140 $0.070 ASSESSMENT RATE HISTORY * Marine Clerk Work Opportunity ** LA/LB Crane Board Make Whole The chart above shows the history of assessment rates beginning after the significant 1983 revisions. Initially, only the Welfare and Vacation Plans were included. Effective 2/23/85 the Holiday Plan was also included. Coastwise rates for all affected plans were established on 9/28/91. 51 p a c i f i c M a r i t i M e a s s o c i a t i o n

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