Issue link: https://pma.uberflip.com/i/547677
C O N T R A C T O V E R V I E W New Agreement to Add to Waterfront Stability Now, with more choices than ever, shippers are asking themselves whether the West Coast continues to be their best option. And the recent contract negotiations have given many of them pause. To be sure, the disruptions that began in November 2014 were severe and long-lasting – ILWU slowdowns continued for nearly four months, and triggered a series of operational responses that left some observers wondering who was to blame. Amid all of the questions, one outcome was unmistakably clear: the West Coast waterfront needs to do a better job of proving itself as the best and most reliable option to ship goods to and from Asia. That is why the ILWU-PMA agreement on arbitration is so important. Brokered by federal officials after weeks of stalemate, the agreement will ensure greater consistency of rulings on key issues related to work slowdowns and stoppages. By naming a panel of three arbitrators for each geographic region – one member appointed by the industry; one by the union; and a professional neutral – the new system will replace the patchwork nature of the old system with more uniformity and, presumably, more certainty. While the new arbitration system can't resolve all future grievances during the heat of negotiations (after the contract has expired), it can ensure far greater reliability during the life of the contract. And given the frequent nature of past disruptions – more than 200 slow- downs or work stoppages took place during the 2008–14 contract – it is important to re- establish a productive and reliable waterfront every week of the year. After all, shippers crave certainty, and they crave reliability. West Coast ports have proven themselves in the past – with tech- nology and automation agreements that are re-shaping the water- front – and must once again prove themselves capable of meeting current challenges. PMA and its members stand ready to do their part, and look forward to working with the ILWU – from the leadership to the rank- and-file – to ensure a bright future for the waterfront. Reliability is essential to the West Coast waterfront's success – now and for the future. 21 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 These charts document ILWU slowdowns and other work actions during 2014-15 contract negotiations. Starting in Tacoma on Oct. 31, 2014, and at other major ports the following week, slowdowns severely impacted container operations for nearly four months. Only after the tentative contract agreement on Feb. 20, 2015, did operations begin to return to normal. NOTE: Gaps in charts indicate days with no container operations. ILWU Slowdowns During 2014-15 Contract Negotiations 11/1/14 12/1/14 1/1/15 2/1/15 3/1/15 3/31/15 Tacoma: Daily Moves per Hour 10/1/14 to 3/31/15 10/1/14 40 20 30 10 35 15 25 5 0 Ave: 19.1 Nov 1– Feb 20 Ave: 26.2 Oct 1 – Oct. 31 Ave: 27.5 Feb 21– Mar 31 40 20 30 10 35 15 25 5 0 10/1/14 11/1/14 12/1/14 1/1/15 2/1/15 3/1/15 3/31/15 Oakland: Daily Moves per Hour 10/1/14 to 3/31/15 Ave: 26.6 Nov 1– Feb 20 Ave: 29.5 Feb 21– Mar 31 Ave: 32.5 Oct 1 – Oct. 31 40 20 30 10 35 15 25 5 0 10/1/14 11/1/14 12/1/14 1/1/15 2/1/15 3/1/15 3/31/15 Seattle: Daily Moves per Hour 10/1/14 to 3/31/15 Ave: 24.4 Feb 21– Mar 31 Ave: 27.0 Oct 1 – Oct. 31 Ave: 19.4 Nov 1– Feb 20 Feb 21– Mar 31 Oct 1 – Oct. 31 Nov 1– Feb 20 140 120 80 40 60 100 20 0 10/1/14 11/1/14 12/1/14 1/1/15 2/1/15 3/1/15 3/31/15 LA/Long Beach: Absent Crane Operators Total Shifts for Qualified Crane Operators – 7-day Moving Average On 11/3/14, ILWU suddenly began refusing to dispatch qualified crane operators. After the 2/20/15 contract agreement, dispatch returned to normal.