From: David
Hickmott [DHickmott@uli-atl.com]
Sent: Tuesday,
July 24, 2007 6:43 AM
To: David
Hickmott (E-mail)
Cc: David
Hickmott; David Hickmott
Subject: FW:
News - The port of Los Angeles and Long Beach - July 24, 2007
Dear Valued Unique Customer,
The below article is the latest regarding the ILWU office workers (OCU) negotiations. A final deadline of Tuesday (7/24) afternoon has been set by the union to finalize terms.
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
Source: American Shipper - California Connection
Date Posted: 7/23/2007 12:37:54 PM
SoCal ILWU office workers present
last offer, back to table on Tuesday
The union representing maritime office workers in Southern
California Friday presented employers with what union officials characterize as
a final offer. The offer comes following Friday? daylong negotiating session in
the more than month-long contract talks between the union and 14 shipping
carriers and terminal operators at the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles.
"We've done all we can," John Fageaux Jr., president of
the Office Clerical Unit, Local 63, of the International Longshore and
Warehouse Union told the Associated Press on Saturday.
The employers will have until Tuesday afternoon, when the next
scheduled round of talks are set, to review the union offer. The current talks
began in May after expiration of the current contract on June 30.
Both sides remain optimistic for a settlement. Insiders at the
bargaining table said that terms had essentially been reached by both sides,
but how the terms were spelled out in the contract were still being debated.
The office workers have made it clear that if talks stall or
collapse, they would head for the picket lines. The 15,000-strong dockworkers
from locals of the Southern California ILWU have said they would honor the
office worker picket lines if any are drawn.
A possible strike by even a portion of the union could threaten to
shut down the two neighboring ports and turn off a tap from where 40 percent of
the nation? goods flow.
The OCU union local, an entity unique to Southern California, is
part of the ILWU dockworker union. However, the union negotiates their contract
with 14 Los Angeles and 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 off-port offices of maritime
firms. Local 63 represents more than 900 workers for 17 shipping companies and
terminal operators at the ports. The current contract talks, however, only
covers members at 14 of the area firms.
Unquote