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Peter Hurtgen News

03 Oct 2002

Federal Mediator Steps In

According to reports, dockworkers agreed to federal mediation Wednesday in the labor dispute with shippers as political pressure mounted in Washington, D.C. In the first breakthrough since shippers locked longshoremen out of West Coast docks Friday, the International Longshore and Warehouse Union agreed to have federal mediator Peter Hurtgen meet with both sides to talk about the thorny subject of technology. The announcement came as California's senior U.S. senator, Dianne Feinstein, called on President Bush to declare a national emergency and invoke the Taft-Hartley Act, a 1947 law that would force both sides back to work for at least 80 days. It would be the first invocation of the act since former President Jimmy Carter unsuccessfully tried to end a costly coal miners strike in 1978.

25 Nov 2002

West Coast Port Dispute Reach Tenative Deal

The longshoremen and West Coast shippers have reached a tentative pact that addresses issues relating to pension benefits and arbitration procedures, including technological advancements. The agreement will allow the introduction of technology that would improve the flow of cargo through the West Coast terminals. The entire agreement which was announced late Saturday must be approved by members of the ILWU. Negotiations were guided by Peter Hurtgen, director of the Federal Mediation Conciliation Service. In a statement, the president said: "I am very pleased that labor and management have reached an agreement concerning the West Coast Ports. This agreement is good for workers, good for employers, and it's good for America's economy.