From: David Hickmott [DHickmott@uli-atl.com]

Sent: Monday, July 16, 2007 1:38 PM

To: David Hickmott; David Hickmott (E-mail)

Cc: David Hickmott; David Hickmott

Subject: RE: ILWU Office Workers set end-of-week walkout deadline

Dear Valued Unique Customer,

The below article is the recent update on the OCU negotiations for your reference.

Thank you for your support of Unique Logistics International (ATL).

David Hickmott

Executive Vice President

Office:  404-767-0500 ext 306

Cell#678-478-6604

E-Mail:  dhickmott@uli-atl.com

Website:  www.uli-atl.com

S. Calif. ILWU office workers strike looms, talks continue
   Contract negotiations between Southern California marine carriers and the dockworker union representing nearly 1,000 of their office workers ran into the early morning hours of Monday, despite the passing of two separate weekend walkout deadlines set by the union.
   Officials from the 930-member International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 63 Office Clerical Unit, in negotiations since the current contract ran out on June 30, called the Saturday midnight walkout deadline last Tuesday after frustrations built up over the slow progress of talks with marine terminal and carrier firms in the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles. Saturday’s deadline was extended until Sunday at midnight and talks continued at least an hour past the second deadline into Monday morning.
   While neither side was willing to talk specifics, reports indicate that the two sides remain far apart on wages and benefits.
   OCU President John Fageaux Jr. said during a break early Monday that if talks collapsed, picket lines would go up.
   "We're in the process of presenting our last, best and final offer," he told the Associated Press during the early morning break.
   The OCU union local, an entity unique to Southern California, is part of the area’s larger 15,000-strong ILWU dockworker union. However, the union negotiates their contract with 14 Los Angeles-Long Beach-area maritime firms directly and not with the Pacific Maritime Association, which represents the interest of West Coast maritime firms in negotiations with the parent ILWU union. The OCU represents mainly “white collar” office and clerical workers in the “off-port” offices of maritime firms.
   While the parent ILWU dockworker’s union has agreed to honor any OCU picket lines -- effectively shutting down the nation’s two busiest container ports on the eve of the peak shipping season -- there is some contention whether the OCU members’ positions outside the ports would lead to restraining orders being filed in the case of a walkout and subsequent supportive walkout at the docks.
   The lead negotiator for the maritime firms said that the employers' latest offer included raises that over the life of the three-year contract would raise the union members’ hourly pay to $39.20, while the union is seeking increases that would equal $53 per hour by the last year of the contract. The employers contend that the OCU members are the highest paid office workers in the nation.

---

From: David Hickmott
Sent: Thursday, July 12, 2007 12:45 PM
To: 'David Hickmott (E-mail)'
Cc: David Hickmott; David Hickmott
Subject: ILWU Office Workers set end-of-week walkout deadline

Dear Valued Unique Customer

The below article is from the American Shipper to keep our customers advised about the potential walkout on west coast.

Thank you for your support of Unique Logistics International (ATL).

David Hickmott

Executive Vice President

Office:  404-767-0500 ext 306

Cell#678-478-6604

E-Mail:  dhickmott@uli-atl.com

Website:  www.uli-atl.com

ILWU office workers set end-of-week walkout deadline
Two-week-old contract negotiation between the union representing maritime clerical workers and West Coast marine terminal and shipping lines have made no apparent progress since last week, and the union has set the end of the week as a deadline for progress to be made.
   The Local 63 Office Clericals Unit of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union, without a contract since the end of June and frustrated by the lack of movement of key issues, said it is ready to call a walkout.
   "We're ready (this week) to take economic action if we have to," John Fageaux Jr., president of Local 63 OCU told the Long beach Press Telegram. "If things don't get settled this week, (an employee walkout is) likely."
   The union and maritime firms have been in ongoing negotiations since the workers’ current contract expired. A unanimous vote last week by the Local 63 OCU members authorized union officials to call a strike if negotiations failed.
   The Local 63 OCU represents clerical and office workers for 22 shipping line and terminal facilities in the Long Beach and Los Angeles area. While members of the ILWU and also referred to as clerks, the OCU does not represent the more prominent ILWU dockworkers, who are gearing up for their own contract negotiations early next year.
   Local 63 OCU officials reported that they had the backing of the larger 7,000-member union locals that represent dockworkers at the neighboring ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles and that the larger group had agreed to honor OCU picket lines if a strike is called. The impact that the more powerful union “honoring” the OCU picket lines will have on port operations is unknown.