Port of Portland security officers reach agreement in labor dispute www.privateofficer.com

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PORTLAND, Ore. Nov 26 2012 (AP) — The Port of Portlandand union leaders who represent its marine terminal security guards reached atentative agreement in labor negotiations Saturday, averting a strike thatcould have effectively shut down three terminals.The last-ditch talks led to a resolution by evening afterassurances from the Port of Portland that thesecurity guards would continue in their current duties. Both sides had agreedon most aspects of a contract, but workers wanted an assurance their jobswouldn't disappear if terminal operators or carriers wanted to hire their own,lower-cost security personnel."This agreement protects good-paying, blue-collar jobsthat Portlandworking families need so badly," Jerry Hardman, ILWU Local 28 president,said in a statement issued by the union.Port officials had said companies would be more likely to dobusiness in Portlandif they were not handcuffed to job guarantees. Portland's Terminal 6 is by far the smallestof the West Coast's six container-shipping ports, and it's already at adisadvantage with other Pacific ports because it's about 100 miles from theocean.The tentative agreement must go before the union for a voteand the Port Commission for formal review and approval of the contract.The negotiation came 12 hours before a planned 6 a.m. strikeSunday that could have effectively shut down three terminals, the union said.It was assumed the longshoremen who load and unload ships would have refused tocross the picket lines."We are very pleased that an agreement wasreached," Port Executive Director Bill Wyatt said in a statement."The Port feels its contract proposal was not only fair butgenerous."A day before the agreement, Gov. John Kitzhaber tried tohead off a walkout by the guards, telling both sides that he expected a dealSaturday, The Oregonian reported. Contract talks began in June 2011.The looming strike had led some businesses to use ports on Puget Sound, and shipping lines were evaluating whetherto bypass the city. When ships are diverted and cargo rerouted, that addscosts, and potentially harmful delays for imports or exports of perishable orseasonal items.The drawn-out negotiation over security guard contracts wasjust one of three separate labor conflicts at the Port of Portland.The first began this summer when the ILWU and theInternational Brotherhood of Electrical Workers clashed over which union shouldhave the job of plugging in and unplugging refrigerated shipping containers.The National Labor Relations Board and a federal judge concluded thatlongshoremen engaged in slowdown tactics during the dispute, causing truck trafficto be backed up for more than a mile.Though the NLRB eventually concluded the work belongs to theelectrical workers, the longshore union continues to fight for the jobs.Separately, in a standoff that involves several ports, theunion contract between longshoremen and companies that operate grain terminalson the Columbia River and Puget Sound expiredSept. 30. The companies have made what they say is their last offer, and areawaiting a response.A strike or lockout would disrupt trans-Pacific grain shipments,affecting U.S. farmersexporting wheat, corn and soybeans to Asia.