By Lisa Baertlein and David Shepardson
LOS ANGELES/WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Employers negotiating a labor contract at U.S. East and Gulf Coast ports on Thursday filed an unfair labor observe grievance in opposition to the union, saying these leaders refuse to renew talks forward of the threatened Oct. 1 strike.
The US Maritime Alliance (USMX) mentioned it filed the grievance with the Nationwide Labor Relations Board, because of the repeated refusal of the Worldwide Longshoremen’s Affiliation to return to the bargaining desk. The 2 sides seem like deadlocked on wage points.
It’s unusual, however not unprecedented, for employers to make such complaints to the NLRB – an impartial company of the federal authorities that enforces U.S. labor regulation, significantly with regard to collective bargaining and unfair labor practices.
The six-year grasp contract between USMX and the ILA expires on Sept. 30.
A White Home official on Thursday reiterated the president doesn’t intend to invoke a federal regulation referred to as the Taft-Hartley Act to stop a strike.
“We encourage all parties to come to the bargaining table and negotiate in good faith,” the official mentioned. “Senior officials from the White House, Labor Department, and Department of Transportation are in touch with the parties and delivering the message to them directly on being at the table and negotiating in good faith fairly and quickly.”
As that deadline approaches, corporations that depend on ocean delivery are more and more nervous that the ILA’s 45,000 members will strike and shut 36 ports that deal with greater than half of U.S. ocean commerce of merchandise reminiscent of bananas, meat, auto components, building supplies and attire.
Delays and prices might shortly cascade, threatening the U.S. economic system within the weeks forward of the U.S. presidential election and burdening already taxed international ocean delivery networks.
A JPMorgan evaluation projected {that a} port strike might value the U.S. economic system $5 billion each day.
The employer group mentioned it requested fast injunctive reduction – requiring the union to renew bargaining – so {that a} deal may very well be finalized.
The ILA in an announcement on Thursday referred to as the USMX a poor negotiating companion.
“If it wasn’t for the ILA engaging in serious and productive negotiations, most of the local agreements would not have been settled over the past year,” the union mentioned in an announcement.
Earlier this week, ILA Worldwide President and chief Negotiator Harold Daggett mentioned he had rebuffed a number of USMX approaches.
“They call me several times each week trying to get the ILA to accept a low-ball wage package,” Daggett mentioned.
Sources near the talks mentioned the ILA requested for a wage improve of 77% – a proportion the union referred to as exaggerated. Business consultants say the rise possible can be larger than the 32% rise negotiated by the union protecting employees at West Coast ports final yr.
