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SAN FRANCISCO, November 23, 2002—Director of the Federal
Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS) Peter Hurtgen announced an agreement
on an historic six-year contract between the International Longshore and
Warehouse Union (ILWU) and the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA). Today’s
announcement follows six weeks of intense negotiating in San Francisco,
headquarters of both parties.
Hurtgen praised the leadership of the PMA and ILWU, “As the
deadline approached, both James Spinosa ILWU president and Joseph Miniace, PMA
president and CEO, demonstrated statesmanlike leadership which made this
agreement possible.”
Hurtgen explained that this agreement, which is subject to ratification
by the ILWU membership, provides substantial improvement in wages and benefits
for the union’s members. It also provides necessary technology and dispute
resolution improvements needed to ensure that America’s West Coast Ports
continue to modernize and increase in both efficiency and productivity.
Hurtgen added, “I do not want to be more specific about the content
of the agreement until the union membership has had an opportunity to see the
full agreement.”
Hurtgen also thanked Richard Trumka, Secretary-Treasurer of the AFL-CIO
for his guidance and counsel during the bargaining, “Mr. Trumka is a
professional in the field of labor and industrial relations. His expertise and
knowledge of multiemployer retirement plans was very helpful.”
“I also want to thank and acknowledge the work of my staff and the
career professionals at the FMCS, most especially Deputy Director Richard
Barnes and Joel Schaffer of the Oakland district office. Their skills and
specific knowledge of this industry greatly assisted in reaching this
agreement.”
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