Shippers Lock Out Longshoremen at
West Coast Ports

Sept. 27, 2002
By Justin Pritchard Associated Press Writer
Published:

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - The association representing shipping lines locked out longshoremen at all West Coast ports until Sunday morning in what it called a "cooling-off period" in contract negotiations.

Friday's announcement came after the Pacific Maritime Association, which represents shipping lines and terminal operators, accused the longshoremen's union of a work slowdown to gain leverage in the increasingly acrimonious talks.

The Pacific Maritime Association board met Friday morning and agreed to keep the longshoremen from working, according to president Joseph Miniace. The lockout was scheduled to begin at 9 p.m. EDT.

He called it "a very, very tough decision," but one that the association had to make because the union was bargaining in bad faith.

"It's the very last thing we wanted to do. But the union forced us into this," Miniace said.

Union spokesman Jeremy Prillwitz said the association was acting unilaterally and that union negotiators wanted to keep talking. The two sides have been bargaining over a new contract for months, but talks have steadily deteriorated.

On Thursday, the union issued a directive earlier telling the 10,500 workers it represents at all 29 major Pacific ports to work in strict accordance with all safety and health rules.

The association said that evening that longshoremen were slowing the pace of work at ports in Los Angeles, Oakland, Portland, Ore., Seattle and Tacoma, Wash.

The association has released figures saying that a coastwide labor disruption could cost the U.S. economy about $1 billion per day. The ports handle more than $300 billion in imports and exports each year.

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