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Port Strike: Labor Talks Resume

4th day of crippling strike at nation's busiest seaport produces a Wilmington meeting between the longshore workers' union and global shipping giants. Meanwhile, much of the harbor remains eerily quiet.

Contract negotiations resumed Friday as a crippling strike by longshore clerical workers at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach reached its fourth day.

The two sides were to meet at Banning's Landing in Wilmington. The International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 63 Office Clerical Unit, which represents 800 workers, and the Harbor Employers Association, which represents 14 shipping companies, met Thursday evening for the first time since the strike began Tuesday.

On Friday afternoon, officials at the side-by-side ports, which share the country's busiest shipping basin, jointly cheered the resumption of talks, citing the local and global impact of idle commerce:

"Combined, the Port of Los Angeles and Port of Long Beach move 40 percent of all containerized trade in the country," a ports update read. "The more than $300 billion worth of goods that flow through the two ports help support close to 3 million jobs across the country, including dockworkers, truck drivers, rail yard workers, warehouse clerks and others up and down the supply chain."

On Thursday night, the two sides discussed processes necessary to keep the talks going and the urgency to end the walkout. The morning meetings were expected to get to the substance of the stalemate -- language in the contract that addresses whether or not the shipping companies can hire workers outside of the port to help direct cargo traffic.

John Fageaux, president of the clerical workers union, said the language remains the key sticking point and accuses the shipping companies of outsourcing some of the clerical workers' functions. The Harbor Employers Association vehemently denies outsourcing any jobs.

``If they're not outsourcing, then they shouldn't have a problem with the language we're proposing to prevent outsourcing,'' Fageaux said. Stephen Berry, the lead negotiator for the Harbor Employers Association, said ``not one OCU job has been sent overseas, or anywhere else.''

Berry accused the union of ignoring a contract proposal that would offer workers guaranteed job protection and somewhere in the range of $42-$43 per hour in wages, regardless of the workload at the port. Fageaux said the union was prepared to stay at the negotiating table as long as necessary to end the strike.

On Friday, another HEA spokeman said:

"Representatives of the harbor employers met [Thursday] night with OCU leadership in an effort to reach a fair compromise to end the strike initiated by OCU employees.... But the OCU pickets remain -- and with them, a range of harmful repercussions for tens of thousands of people whose livelihood in the port communities and beyond depends on the cargo moving through the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. The employers remain committed to reaching a fair agreement as quickly as possible.

"The 600 clerks involved in this strike -- the highest paid office clerical workers in America, and who have been offered absolute job guarantees and compensation boosts -- continue to put their own self-interests first."  

The Harbor Employers Association offered the most recent contract proposal on Monday, the day before the walkout began. Thousands of longshoremen, also represented by the ILWU, continued to honor the picket lines Friday at 10 of 14 shipping terminals in the harbor, bringing cargo traffic at the nation's busiest port complex to barely a crawl.

At least seven ships rerouted to other ports as of Thursday, according to the Marine Exchange of Southern California, which monitors shipping traffic at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. It's unclear whether the ships were just reshuffling itineraries and planning to circle back to L.A. when the strike ends or rerouting cargo that translates into lost work for longshoremen in L.A. and Long Beach.

On Thursday, political and business leaders seeking to avert economic damage pressured both sides to come to an agreement. (State Senator and U.S. Representative-elect Alan Lowenthal supports the ILWU.) The head of the National Retail Federation sent a letter to the White House urging the president to use his leverage to end the strike.

``A prolonged strike at the nation's largest ports would have a devastating impact on the U.S. economy,'' NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay wrote in the letter to Obama.

The strike is the largest work stoppage since a 10-day lockout at the ports in 2002, which drew then-President George W. Bush's involvement. That lockout led to significant retail supply chain disruptions that took six months to recover from and cost the economy an estimated $1 billion a day, according to the Retail Federation.

The port of Los Angeles executive director said Thursday that hundreds of thousands of jobs are impacted by this week's strike, and the full-court press to return to negotiations seemed to have worked Friday.

Patch will update this story so check back for more breaking news, and keep up by subscribing to your local site newsletter here.

--City News Service contributed to this story.

Dr. Zillman November 30, 2012 at 08:44 pm
"...a contract proposal that would offer workers guaranteed job protection and somewhere in the range of $42-$43 per hour in wages, regardless of the workload at the port."
Wow. That is a mighty big hourly wage for a "clerk." Just what do these "clerks" do for that kind of money?
Diane Naletich December 1, 2012 at 02:23 am
That is an excellent wage!
Allyson December 1, 2012 at 08:45 am
It's not the money they are negotiating. It's the security of the AMERICAN job. I love you ILWU Local 13. I support you 100% and am praying for you brothers and sisters. Peace.
Allyson December 1, 2012 at 10:26 am
Get informed ppl about waged, etc.
Kelly Jean December 1, 2012 at 12:17 pm
How about dropping their wage to the average $15/per hour and then guarantee their jobs.
Noel Park December 1, 2012 at 02:46 pm
As long as the ports are shut down we have cleaner air and less traffic on the freeways. Great work guys!
Susan Fageaux December 1, 2012 at 07:50 pm
John Fageaux, president of the clerical workers union, said the language remains the key sticking point and accuses the shipping companies of outsourcing some of the clerical workers' functions. The Harbor Employers Association vehemently denies outsourcing any jobs.
``If they're not outsourcing, then they shouldn't have a problem with the language we're proposing to prevent outsourcing,'' Fageaux said. Stephen Berry, the lead negotiator for the Harbor Employers Association, said ``not one OCU job has been sent overseas, or anywhere else.'' Oh no????? Well, why is it that my Evergreen company has closed down 5 US offices and TAIWAN has been in operation since??? And our Dallas office... Who I now deal with is management instead of employees now?? They are taking over!!! And when we walked off.... Our recording immediately within seconds stated to contact our Dallas office!! How fast jobs can be taken!!! And have Taiwan easily take over completely!! If everything is automated and handled via computers then what are US workers needed for??? Open your eyes!!! Recently we have bar codes on our bills of lading..... Why? Well so they can have a machine be effective instead of humans!!! And Taiwan can have access to OUR work!!! I know this because I am dealing with this first hand!!
Susan Fageaux December 1, 2012 at 08:09 pm
See.... Like Allyson said...
It's not about wages.... If they agreed about the wages before then why not now!! I am currently overwhelmed with work. Overtime is much needed and you have to draw blood to get it!!! I have been getting neck aches and headaches because of it!!! The ports are making billions of dollars each day!!! Please!!!
Darren December 2, 2012 at 12:16 am
Read the article in the LA Times. These clerks are so greedy its disgusting. Their current salary is $165,000. For clerks?! Are you kidding?? They were offered a salary of $195,000 but declined and continue to strike. Its embarrassing that this kind of behavior is allowed. Can you imagine what would happen to the world economy if everyone demanded this kind of salary right out of high school?
Dalzwyf December 2, 2012 at 12:30 pm
Don't believe everything you read. This strike is NOT about wages, it IS about job security. If they are offered a raise and then they no longer have that job, then the raise does them no good.
H. Schwartz December 2, 2012 at 08:13 pm
Why don't all these disgruntled employees quit and let someone who's been on the unemployment line for two years have a shot at it, I guarantee you'd see a different attitude.
Nancy Wride (Editor) December 2, 2012 at 09:07 pm
Can you share the link for the above referenced story Darren? Thanks.
Nancy Wride (Editor) December 2, 2012 at 09:07 pm
Susan, can you have your husband or his group's spokesperson email me pronto for an update story? Thanks.
b December 2, 2012 at 11:08 pm
problem is the company will have someone in Taiwan doing the job not someone on the unemployment like.
Nunja December 2, 2012 at 11:38 pm
Regardless of what they do, and from a person who worked down at the Port and is now physically ill...the hazardous chemicals they are exposed to alone warrant the pay per hour in wages...your health is priceless...they should make more money as far as I am concerned!!!
Dr. Zillman December 2, 2012 at 11:39 pm
So, if the Union offered the Company a lower pay rate, would the outsourcing "threat" go away? Let's be honest here; in this economy $40+ dollars an hour for just about any clerk position is spectacularly generous. Period. Particularly when you consider the Union benefit package.
Nunja December 2, 2012 at 11:45 pm
The employer is lying...not only did they outsource work and still are, they blatantly had company employees doing the work that was clearly under the union's scope of contract for years until they got caught just recently! Shame on them....
Linda December 3, 2012 at 12:53 am
These are not clerks like a cashier in a store.
They have access to what is inside of each and every container in the harbor. Where it is and when it ia moving. Thieves, pirates, terrorists and gangsters would love this information. We cannot afford to have lesser skilled, and less patriotic citizens in these roles. We would be idiots to give up the control of these jobs to anyone who is not AMERICAN. They are responsible for the compliance with laws on each and every container. Customs rules, hazmat data, and destination notifications. In other countries we see tremendous corruption in roles such as these. Our harbor is the most amazing in the nation. Everyone who is making money having widgets or garments made in other places, needs to give three cheers to these strikers and support them all the way. They are fighting for the safe and assures delivery of your merchandise.
Obama December 3, 2012 at 11:38 am
If they worked instead of B S all day they would not worry about their jobs........these r the most lazy people......
Joel Cooper December 3, 2012 at 07:46 pm
Air traffic controllers are very well trained involving far more difficult and expensive training than these clerks. Reagan fired them and we kept on flying. Get rid of these ingrates and get AMERICANS in there who have a work ethic.
Linda December 4, 2012 at 03:33 am
We suffer the noise, air quality and other issues of having the risky business of a bustling harbor out our front door. (Remember the oil tanker that exploded in 1978?) As the clerks collect their wages they buy their kids shoes and purchase homes in our community. This money circulates throughout Los Angeles.
That in a small way balances a little of the wages we have sent abroad by exporting so much of our manufacturing. The people who are asked to pay the expense of these wages are the same people who were not willing to pay $8 an hour to have shirts sewn for their stores and who have caused hundreds to die in the factory in Bangladesh this week. I have no interest in subsidizing these efforts further by driving the wages paid to our work force less. A huge percentage of the materials on our retail shelves in America come through this harbor. Look at this through the eyes of a small time manufacturer who gets his merchandise made in China. The hijacking or mishandling of one container could make or break his entire year. If the amateur hour starts running our harbor, who will feel it most completely will be a military family moving home or an inventor of a new product for whom one container is their entire budget. We need to make changes in the way we protect each other. Anyone who works for others or is in a service job is vulnerable. Visit a third world country and you will find police officers and teachers making $500 a month. Is that what we prefer?
Linda December 4, 2012 at 03:52 am
CLARITY--- they will not fire everybody and hire again at a lower wage. The plan by management is to take a bunch of the work and have it done by low wage workers in Taiwan. There is no limit to how big the "bunch" of the work that can be exported. They are trying to put a limit or a CAP on the work being sent away. There are two ways to do that. Get an agreement to not send work away (not likely as other docks have already succumb).... or to say leave behind enough work for "this many" employees to be supported on payroll, so that we have a stable work force. That way the incentive for continued capacity building of employees here by management is present.
JC December 5, 2012 at 05:46 am
Your Job is in "Asia" or "India". Those jobs should of stayed here. Plenty of people out of work here in America.

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Nancy Wride (Editor) June 17, 2013 at 01:40 pm
Hi Mark. I'll see if I can find out. Roughly what time and nearest landmark if any?
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Should he be teaching your children?
Mike Ruehle June 3, 2013 at 01:36 pm
Prior to his election as a write-in candidate, Councilman Patrick O'Donnell told the Long BeachRead More Business Journal on February 28, 2012 the following:***** LBBJ: If you win the reelection, will you commit to a full four-year term?***** Councilman O'Donnell: If you run for four, you serve four. ***** LBBJ: So, you're not going to run for Assembly in two years? ***** O'Donnell: Correct. ***** LBBJ: No matter what? ***** O'Donnell: Correct. If you run for four, you serve four. ***** If you can't trust O'Donnell's word, why would anyone vote for him to be their representative for political office? ***** http://www.lbreport.com/news/jan13/odonlbbj.htm
Nancy Wride (Editor) June 3, 2013 at 02:22 pm
And do his supporters care about this, do you think? No doubt others will.
Mike Ruehle June 3, 2013 at 11:43 pm
Regarding, "do O'Donnell's supporters care?", many of O'Donnell's supporters are inRead More elected and appointed public positions, and their support of O'Donnell includes placing the financial burden of a $150,000 special election on the taxpayers. I would think that a responsible journalist would ask each of them about that issue.
This is what the new path will look like.
Richard May 31, 2013 at 10:54 am
This opinion piece is so full of self-serving hot air it could float. Two paths will make the beachRead More look like a freeway? The author clearly hasn't seen too many freeways lately. Speaking of seeing, if the author would care to spend a little time looking at the beach (which I do on a daily basis, as I live overlooking the Bluff) they would realize that the current bike/pedestrian path is the most heavily used and enjoyed segment of the beach from the Belmont Pier to Shoreline Village. On any given day, there will be hundreds of people on the paths, compared with a handful on the sand itself. The author inadvertently makes that point when he or she writes that the beach "...should be valued for its own recreational value." Clearly, many more people enjoy walking, running or bicycling on the path than on the beach itself. Give the people what they want, and not what a mysterious, nameless, faceless group is trying to block.
Shore Resident June 3, 2013 at 08:37 am
Uh, Richard? Opinion pieces are by nature self-serving and one sided. I'm not saying that is agreeRead More with the opinion, just saying that gordana can have her say.