Clerks and other key personnel such as crane operators, represented by the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) Local 63’s Office Clerical Unit (OCU), refused to cross picket lines in order to “stop international corporations from outsourcing dozens of well paid jobs that support working families in the local community.”
Negotiations between the clerks and carriers and terminal operators have been ongoing for more than two years, since the workers’ three year contract ended in 2010.
Trinie Thompson, a logistics clerk at POLA, said: “We’re drawing the line against corporate greed and outsourcing that’s destroying the good-paying jobs that support working families in our community. The jobs here come with excellent wages and benefits – but they’ll eventually disappear if companies keep outsourcing them to India and Taiwan.”
Port officials are concerned that if the strike continues, it could have a negative effect on jobs and the economy, especially with the holiday season approaching.
