Issue 376, October 25, 2002
As reported by the Journal of Commerce on Friday, October 25, 2002 at 5:38 p.m., "West Coast Talks Go On, And So Do Charges"

Contract talks between employers and union longshoremen were slated to resume Friday afternoon in San Francisco as federal mediators try to break the deadlock in the West Coast port labor dispute.

There were no reports of progress from Thursday's talks, the first since ports re-opened October 9th following a 10-day shutdown. Both the Pacific Maritime Association and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union agreed to abide by a media blackout requested by mediator Peter Hurtgen during negotiations.

Meanwhile, the Justice Department had given port employers and labor until Friday to provide more information on the PMA's allegations of labor slowdowns since the ports re-opened.

The injunction obtained by the Bush administration under the Taft-Hartley Act prohibits lock-outs, slowdowns or other work stoppages. The injunction runs through December 26th.

"We plan to submit that information," PMA spokesman John Pachtner said Friday.

In a news release, the PMA said during the first week back to work under the Taft-Hartley Act, productivity fell 34 percent at Oakland, 29 percent at Portland, 27 percent at Seattle, 19 percent at Tacoma, and 9 percent at Los Angeles-Long Beach.

The union on Friday criticized employers for going to Justice, saying they were circumventing the proper grievance and arbitration process at the expense of shippers.

The PMA in statement said that it had discussed the slowdown allegations with ILWU officials prior to approaching the Justice Department, and that it stands by its charges.

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