In the US, the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) has just filed a lawsuit against the Port of Portland to prevent the agency from reimbursing its container terminal operator for losses the port blames on the union members, reports Port Technology.
The suit filed in the US District Court, which names both the port and its executive director Bill Wyatt, calls for an injunction against the payment of US$4.7-million to the operator of the port’s container terminal ICTSI Oregon Inc.
The ILWU claim that the payment is illegal as it violates the state constitution and the union's right to freedom from government interference.
“The Port’s handout to ICTSI is not only illegal, it’s wrong,” stressed ILWU coast committeeman, Leal Sundet.
“Our lawsuit aims to stop the port’s direct interference in a private labor dispute and to keep the money in public hands, where it can be invested in local infrastructure.”
In response, the Port of Oakland said that the lawsuit is “without merit”.
The labour dispute led to major disruptions in the flow of cargo at Portland, with trucks queuing for several miles to get into the port as workers carried out go-slow tactics to vent their frustration. The slowdown in production resulted in the decision by several shipping lines to temporarily bypass Portland, and has caused major losses for the terminal operator and cargo delivery delays for shippers and importers.
