West Coast Labor Disputes

Relations between members of the International Longshoremen and Warehouse Union and waterfront employers on the U.S. West Coast have heated up in recent weeks, with protests and other actions in the Pacific Northwest and at ports in California.

Special Coverage

Labor Strife at West Coast Ports

Court Rules Against NLRB in ILWU Dispute

18 Jun 2013

A U.S. District Court judge in Portland ruled that the National Labor Relations Board last year had no right intervening in a contractual dispute between a container terminal operator at the Oregon port and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union.

PNW Grain Dispute Heads North

05 Jun 2013

International Longshore and Warehouse Union grain workers who have been locked out of the United Grain terminal in Vancouver, Wash., since Feb. 27 brought their fight north this week by gaining the support of ILWU Canada workers in Prince Rupert.

ITF Urges Grain Terminals' Owners to End ILWU Lockouts

28 May 2013

The International Transport Workers’ Federation has repeated its concerns, as well as its member unions’ concerns, regarding the lockout of International Longshore and Warehouse Union workers at the...

Second PNW Grain Terminal Locks Out ILWU

06 May 2013

Contract disagreements between the International Longshore and Warehouse Union and grain terminals in the Pacific Northwest accelerated over the weekend as Columbia Grain in Portland became the second facility where management locked out union workers.

United Grain, ILWU File Complaints With NLRB

03 May 2013

A total of six charges have been filed to the National Labor Relations Board by union dockworkers and United Grain Corp. at the Port of Vancouver, The Columbian reports.

Slow Medical Claim Processing Sparks ILWU Protest

01 May 2013

Dockworkers protesting the slow processing of medical claims picketed a terminal at the Port of Oakland Wednesday, one day after a similar action interrupted cargo handling at a terminal in Tacoma.

Commentary

The Turmoil Never Ceases

Peter Tirschwell

As the TPM Conference convenes in Long Beach this week, the trans-Pacific market’s ability to throw curveballs year after year continues to impress. In past years, these took the form of port congestion, West Coast labor unrest and biblical rail backups — all largely unanticipated and forcing the industry into crisis mode.

Sandy and Newtown: A New Perspective on Shipping’s Woes

Gary Ferrulli

It's Time for Politicians to Take a Stand

Peter Tirschwell

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