Contract Q & A
Below are some of the most common questions we hear about the 2008 longshore contract.
When did the Longshore contract expire?
The “Pacific Coast Longshore Contract Document” was effective July 1, 2002 and expired on July 1, 2008.
How many Longshore workers are covered by the contract?
About 26,000 longshore workers at ports in California, Oregon, and Washington. Longshore workers in Hawaii and British Columbia, Canada, have similar but separate contracts. Longshore workers on the Gulf and Atlantic ports do similar work but belong to a different union, the International Longshoremen’s Association, or ILA.
What kind of work is involved?
A little over half of the workforce is able to get full-time work – the remainder depend on part-time assignments. Longshore workers include “lashers” who climb among the containers stacked high on the ships, fastening or unfastening each container that is held in place with massive steel turnbuckles. Other longshore workers operate a variety of container transporters and a few operate cranes. Clerks direct the flow of cargo. Foremen (known as “Walking Bosses” in some locations) direct the activity of longshore workers.
How much do longshore workers earn?
The basic rate is $30.68 an hour, but 10,000 in the workforce are classified as “casuals” who earn less and work only part-time while they work up to full-time status. A relative handful earn more, especially the highly skilled workers who operate massive “hammerhead” cranes. Before workers organized a union, these jobs paid only poverty wages – but the work today is still very dangerous: Seventeen workers have been killed on the job since the last contract was signed, and many more have been seriously injured.
What are the key issues in this contract?
Key contract issues include:
- Good jobs that support working families.
- Safer jobs with fewer injuries and deaths.
- Cleaner air for workers on the docks and families in nearby communities.
- Other key issues include protecting health and retirement benefits, and addressing new technology in a positive way that creates more good Longshore jobs that benefit the community.
Who will negotiate a new agreement?
There are two parties to the agreement. The International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) and the Pacific Maritime Association. Each party chooses a negotiating team to represent them at the bargaining sessions. Longshore workers held democratic elections in each local to elect a Caucus of delegates that met January 28 to February 8, 2008. Those 100 delegates agreed on goals and priorities for the new contract, and chose a smaller bargaining committee that will represent union members at the bargaining table.
Are the negotiations open?
The negotiations are traditionally confidential, but reports will be prepared on a regular basis to keep members informed.
When can I read more details about the contract negotiations?
The Negotiating Committee has requested that details about the new contract now being negotiated should remain confidential until they complete their process and have a chance to present their report to the democratically-elected delegates of the Longshore Caucus. One hundred members of the Caucus will then meet in San Francisco to review the proposed agreement and decide if it should be presented to the membership for a vote, and be sent back for further negotiation. No contract goes forward until it is reviewed by the membership and unless it is approved. In the meantime, the Negotiating Committee is releasing general updates from the bargaining table, such as the recent announcement that an agreement had been reached to protect family health care benefits. They continue to outline other important issued that need to be addressed, such as safety and retirement security.
Will there be another employer shutdown/lock-out like 2002?
Contrary to some erroneous reports, there was no strike in 2002. Employers shut down the west coast ports and locked out 25,000 workers. The employer lock-out was part of a “hardball” strategy promoted by PMA’s former president who was subsequently fired after his plan backfired.
Besides bargaining at the negotiations, what can be done to help reach a fair contract?
It’s important for employers to understand that ILWU workers are united and willing to stand up for a good contract. In the coming months, there will be events and actions that will help make that clear to management. It’s also important to involve the broader community in our fight for a better contract, including small businesses, local charities, local elected officials – all have a stake in the good jobs and cleaner air that we’re fighting for.
How can I get involved?
Hundreds of active volunteers up and down the coast can have a big impact by building unity and helping to educate thousands of our co-workers. Now is also a good time to start saving money, join a credit union, and begin paying off-credit card debts so we can be ready in case the employers refuse to be reasonable.
You can also:
- Contact your local union officers and let them know you want to get involved.
- Attend your local union meetings.
- Offer to help distribute the “Bargaining Bulletins,” buttons and stickers that show our employers that we’re united to win a fair contract and behind our negotiating committee.
Don’t see your question? Submit a question here.
