Feed items
Source: Washington Times
From the San Jose Mercury News:
The agreement ends maritime operations at Howard Terminal, which given its proximity to Jack London Square is seen as Oakland’s most viable location for a new major league ballpark.The settlement, which won’t be finalized until the seven-member Board of Port Commissioners votes to approve it a second time later this month, stems from a battle between two well-heeled companies that operate terminals where container ships are loaded and unloaded.
SSA Terminals filed a lawsuit against the port claiming that it had violated federal shipping law by giving its main competitor, Ports America, a sweetheart deal.
Several port unions, which stand to lose jobs to different unions that do more work with SSA, spoke out against the settlement. “What rubs me wrong is it’s all about corporate greed,” said Ed Henderson of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union.
More in the San Jose Mercury News
ITF (International Transport Workers’ Federation) dockers’ union representatives meeting in Chicago, USA, resolved to organise a global campaign highlighting the need for global network terminal operator (GNT) DP World to engage with unions over trade union rights/representation in a number of countries.
The representatives agreed that action is required, particularly with regards the situation at London Gateway terminal, UK, where Unite the Union’s offer of cooperative working is being snubbed. Speaking from the Chicago meeting Steve Biggs from Unite said: “What we’re seeing at London Gateway is a rejection of the workers’ choice. This is not the way we expect, or can allow, an employer to behave in the 21st century.”
Meanwhile in the Port of Brisbane, Australia, representatives called for transparency in negotiations between the Maritime Union of Australia and DP World. Workers in Brisbane have been dealing with issues of representation, job losses, contracting out, casualisation and a possible cut in working conditions as a result of planned automation.
ITF president and dockers’ section chair Paddy Crumlin said: “We have called on ITF dockers’ and...
The West Coast MTO Agreement (WCMTOA) recently announced an 8.1 percent increase in the Traffic Mitigation Fee (TMF) at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, scheduled to take effect on August 19, 2013. The increase will sustain continued operation of PierPass OffPeak gates amid labor cost increases.
Beginning August 19, the TMF will be increased by $5.00 per TEU (twenty-foot equivalent unit) to $66.50 per twenty-foot container or $133.00 per forty-foot container. The current TMF rates are $61.50 and $123.00 respectively.
Since 2011, WCMTOA has been adjusting the TMF annually based on changes in maritime labor costs. In May, the Pacific Maritime Association, which negotiates and administers maritime labor agreements with the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU), announced an 8.2 percent increase in wages and benefits for the 2013-14 contract year.
More at the Wall Street Journal
Source: AFSCME
Source: Working In These Times
Source: USA Today
Please log in to view content
To view the content on this page, please log in to your account.
