Master Contract News

Thomas J. Delaney has been named President of Portwide Cargo Securing Co. Inc., which supplies lashing services throughout the Port of New York/New Jersey. The announcement was made by Christopher Guido, owner of Portwide. Most recently, Delaney served as Senior Director, Sales and Marketing for APM Terminals (North America) Inc., out of the Elizabeth, N.J. office. Delaney joined APM Terminals as Vice President, Labor Relations, in 2006. He was involved with matters related to the ILA Master Contract and the implementation of new technology.

Workers have agreed to a 90-day extension on local contracts following talks between Local 333 of the International Longshoremen’s Association and the Steamship Trade Association of Baltimore Inc., reports Bloomberg, citing a statement by Richard Scher, a spokesman for the Maryland Port Administration. Earlier, the Maryland Port Administration was notified by the Steamship Trade Association that Master Contract cargo could be worked, which included containers and roll on/roll off vessels. The 90-day extension agreement by Local 333 ends the stoppage and all cargo is now being worked.

The early months of 2013 have been marked by damaging labor strike action in several countries which has punished shipowners and charterers even though they are innocent parties, says The Strike Club, the market leader for delay insurance for the marine trades. Some of the worst trouble spots in recent weeks have been in South America, particularly Chile where a three-week strike crippled the country’s key ports, blocking exports of copper (Chile is the world’s largest producer of this metal), fruit and wood products. Chile’s business leaders estimated the country lost more than $200 million a day due to the conflict. There has been a miners’ strike in Colombia…

ITF recognise the tentative six-year labour contract agreement reached for workers at the Port of New York as potentially significant. ITF-affiliated union the International Longshoreman’s Association (ILA), which represents dock workers in New York and New Jersey, has been in negotiations with the New York Shippers Association for several months over a local contract. Talks between the ILA and management have fostered the deal on regional working rules and other local issues, which is said to still be in need of some ‘refinement’. The deal is potentially of significance as it is part of a series of larger talks between the ILA and the US Maritime Alliance of shippers, terminal operators and port authorities.

“The National Retail Federation and our members congratulate the OCU and HEA for ratifying the new deal. This contract will bring much-needed stability to the supply chain, better position the ports for future growth and provide retailers the certainty they need to prepare for the upcoming summer shopping season. “Now that the labor situation has been settled on the West Coast, it is time to turn our attention to the East and Gulf Coast ports. “NRF reiterates our call on the International Longshoremen’s Association and the U.S. Maritime Alliance to quickly conclude ongoing local contract negotiations and urge them to ratify a new master contract.

The vote by the ILA's 200-member wage scale committee moves East and Gulf coast ports closer to their first coast wide strike in 35 years. The International Longshoremen's Association President Harold Daggett has been authorized by ILA delegates to call a strike if bargaining impasse not settled before the union's contract expires December 29, 2012. An ILA strike would affect container and roll-on, roll-off cargo covered by the ILA-USMX coast wide master contract. The ILA would continue to work breakbulk cargo and cruise lines that employ ILA labor but are not covered by the master contract. Perishables and military cargo also would be exempt.