US port agreement good news for local shippers

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 3: A long term agreement between ports workers and their bosses in the US looks to have been reached.

The dispute has been ongoing for months and strike action by the longshoremen in New Jersey could have crippled the service to Bermuda.

But a statement by the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service released earlier this month said a tentative arrangement had been reached.

The statement said: "Parties have reached a tentative agreement for a comprehensive successor Master Agreement.

"The tentative agreement is subject to the ratification procedures of both parties and, as well, to agreements being achieved in a number of local union negotiations.

"Those local negotiations are ongoing and will continue without interruption to any port operation.

"Out of respect for the parties’ ratification processes, and consistent with the Agency’s long-standing confidentiality policy, we will not disclose any details concerning the substantive provisions that have been reached.”

The statement added: “However, as the negotiations have been conducted under the auspices of the FMCS, commencing last September and continuing to date, I can report that the tentative agreement reflects the culmination of good faith negotiations in which the parties successfully accommodated strongly held competing positions because of their commitment to problem solving.

"Again, collective bargaining has proven its worth by avoiding a potential work stoppage that would have had a severe negative impact on the nation’s economy.”