More than a year after their labor contract expired, thousands of U.S. West Coast longshore workers now have a new work agreement. About 75% of International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) members approved the ratification of a new six-year agreement with the Pacific Maritime Association, which represents their employers, the union announced Aug. 31. The union’s Coast Balloting Committee, which was selected from representatives of all 29 U.S. West Coast ports by the Coast Longshore Division Caucus, certified the results of the vote. The new contract, which retroactively spans from July 1, 2022 to July 1, 2028, covers about 20,000…

Thousands of West Coast longshore workers and their employers may soon be covered by a new six-year contract. After 13 months of negotiations that at times turned contentious, the International Longshore and Warehouse Union and the Pacific Maritime Association announced June 14 that they have come to a tentative agreement. The deal, which must be ratified by both sides, encompasses more than 22,000 employees at 29 seaports along the West Coast. Acting U.S. Secretary of Labor Julie Su was instrumental in both sides reaching consensus. ILWU President Willie Adams said the union is pleased to have reached a tentative agreement…