ILWU: One small issue standing in the way of deal with PMA

On Friday, as US West Coast ports were set for a three-day shutdown, a spokesperson for the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) told CM that there was only one remaining issue stopping a deal being reached with the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA).

He said he could not say what this issue was exactly because the federal mediator in the dispute had told both sides not to talk about the specifics of negotiations publicly.

However, he said it was a “relatively easy problem to resolve” but that “some of the employers have dug their heels over it”.