Northwest Grainhandlers Return to Work; Talks, Prep Continue on East Coast Longshoremen
Grain-handling longshoremen were reportedly returning to work Dec. 27 under the terms of the grain companies' latest offer, which they had earlier rejected. Meanwhile, negotiations for East and Gulf Coast longshoremen apparently continued at the Federal Mediation & Conciliation Service, as business interests that use the ports prepared to meet with the Department of Transportation Dec. 28 to urge the Administration to intervene.
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Grain companies United Grain, Columbia Grain and Louis Dreyfuss notified the International Longshore and Warehouse Union that they would implement their final offer beginning at 6 a.m. Dec. 27 and the longshoremen would have to decide whether to work under the terms.
“This is not a lock out,” the employers said in a statement. “The ... ILWU members are welcome to come to work under the new terms and conditions of employment.” The union was reviewing the letter, said ILWU spokeswoman Jennifer Sargent in a statement, but employees “intend to continue working despite the substandard provisions of the employer’s last offer.” Under federal law, employers can impose conditions by declaring a bargaining impasse. The ILWU is expected to file an unfair-labor-practice charge in response.
Meanwhile, a group of 10 representatives of the trade community will meet with an assistant secretary of transportation, who is the Administration's lead on the East Coast strike situation.
And port authorities continue to prepare for a possible East Coast strike. For example, the Port Newark Container Terminal (http://www.pnct.net/StrikeContingencyPlan.aspx) posted its Strike Contingency Plan "to ensure that we take the appropriate steps in the event of a work stoppage." It said:
- No vessel activity will be performed during any work stoppage. Once the work stoppage has ended, PNCT will work with the carriers to schedule the resumption of vessel operations.
- There will be no gate activity during any work stoppage. PNCT began extended gate hours on Monday Dec. 17 and will continue to operate extended hours through Dec. 28 to allow as much cargo as possible to be delivered. It also will operate a Saturday gate Dec. 29 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., and "will continue to meet with CBP to ensure they have the staffing to support our extended gate operations."
- Section IV - 8 C -- Page 33. of the NYTC Tariff will apply for all import demurrage during the work stoppage.
- Section III - 4 I -- Page 27 of the NYTC Tariff will apply for all export demurrage during the work stoppage.
- It urged customers to "make every effort to pickup any Reefer import cargo that is available, prior to the start of any work stoppage."