West coast dockworkers approve new 6-year labour contract

Ending year-long labor uncertainty

{reg}Dockworkers on the U.S. West Coast have ratified a new six-year labor contract with port employers, retroactive from July 1, 2022. The agreement covers all 29 West Coast ports represented by the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA).

ILWU members voted 75 percent in favor of the new contract, securing jobs, maintaining health benefits, and improving wages, pensions, and safety measures for approximately 20,000 workers.

This contract, which extends until July 1, 2028, marks the end of over a year of labor uncertainty in the container shipping market. The negotiations began in May 2022, amid pandemic-induced shipping booms, and concluded on June 15, 2023, with assistance from Acting U.S. Secretary of Labor Julie Su. The contract has already received approval from PMA members.

The resolution ensures stability and growth in the U.S. West Coast port labor landscape.[/reg]