By David Shepardson
WASHINGTON/LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Acting U.S. Labor Secretary Julie Su remained in San Francisco on Wednesday for ongoing meetings with West Coast port employers and unions representing 22,0000 workers with the goal of moving contract talks toward a resolution, a Department of Labor official said.
Workers at ports stretching from California to Washington State have been laboring without a contract since July and negotiations have stretched into their 13th month.
Su since Monday has been involved in negotiations between the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA) employers group and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU). The parties are at loggerheads over pay. The White House on Tuesday said the two sides had “overcome some sticking points”. The PMA and ILWU did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Unions are seeking a bigger share of record profits reaped when cargo shipments surged during the pandemic. Employers reportedly have balked at a proposal that could nearly double hourly pay over the six-year term of the contract.
(Reporting by David Shepardson ; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)
