Federal mediators to enter ILWU, PMA negotiations

Two West Coast port groups came to an agreement to allow federal mediators to step into long-standing negotiations that have seemed increasingly without a solution. 

The Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS) announced earlier in the week that negotiations between the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) and the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA) would come under control of the government mediating office, according to the Journal of Commerce. The FMCS explained that it would begin participating in discussions "as soon as possible." 

The PMA had reached out for federal assistance in December, but both parties need to request help for the FMCS to have authorization to step into the situation. The ILWU responded to the association's request for help by explaining that it needed more time to go over its options before asking the government to step into contract discussions. Many groups outside of the contract negotiations had been hoping for this move for some time, though.

Since November, various groups have sent letters to the White House requesting federal mediation in the talks. This is because the discussions between the ILWU and PMA have been a significant force behind the historic congestion issues that have plagued West Coast ports – particularly Los Angeles and Long Beach. In December, more than 160 organizations – including farmers, truckers and manufacturers – signed a letter requesting federal mediators to step into the discussions, The Seattle Times explained. 

"This uncertainty and delay is unacceptable," the ports of Seattle and Tacoma added in a joint follow-up letter, according to the news outlet. "We hope that mediation assistance from the federal government will help both parties find a fair and equitable resolution to the negotiations as soon as possible, to get Americans back to work and allow commerce to move efficiently."

The ongoing negotiations between the ILWU and the PMA
Negotiations between the two groups began in May, several months before the previous contract was due to expire. Since then, they have remained ongoing, with little information coming out of the discussion rooms besides a tentative agreement on health care benefits back in August and the recent public sniping between the two groups that have exacerbated worries over the status of negotiations. Each side had promised to keep the ports moving through the negotiation process, but as the talks have dragged on, accusations of work slowdowns and blame for congestion have been tossed around. 

"The National Retail Federation (NRF) welcomes the news that the ILWU and PMA have agreed to federal mediation," the retail group said in a statement, ac​cording to Bloomberg. "After months of heated rhetoric and increasing congestion, this is the first positive news from the West Coast ports in some time."

Scot Beckenbaugh, a senior mediator whom the FMCS described as having "extensive experience in this industry," will be assigned to the negotiations between the PMA and the ILWU. One issue at hand that the mediator will have to deal with is the case of automation at ports, and how it will affect dock workers' jobs. 

As negotiations move on, the congestion at West Coast ports has only continued, according to The News Tribune. The PMA has alleged that the ILWU isn't sending enough skilled workers to keep operations running smoothly, though union members from Tacoma have denied this. The ILWU has instead claimed that delays are due to the fact that the employer's association canceled night shifts for port workers. 

In fact, the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway, the largest railroad in the Pacific Northwest, has told shippers that it is no longer accepting cargo sent to West Coast ports, the publication noted. The railroad explained that there is no room for new containers at the terminals until normal productivity can be maintained. With federal mediators entering negotiations, hopes are that that happens soon.