Toy Association Urges Biden Administration to Intervene in West Coast Port Dispute

April 24, 2023 | As West Coast longshore labor negotiations between the International Longshore & Warehouse Union (ILWU) and Pacific Maritime Association (PMA) continue, The Toy Association has again called on the Biden Administration to remain fully engaged in coaxing the two sides to find a quick resolution to the dispute. Talks began in May 2022 in advance of the July 1, 2022 expiration of the agreement.

A coalition of more than 200 trade groups and businesses, including The Toy Association, submitted a letter to the White House stressing that there has been little to no progress toward a new long-term agreement and that one is needed to ensure no further disruptions to port operations and cargo fluidity. The coalition encourages the administration to offer mediation services to the parties during their negotiations and urges the White House to quickly appoint a new member of the administration to serve as point person on the labor talks as President Biden’s Labor Secretary Marty Walsh recently departed from this role.

“While many continue to recover from pandemic-related issues, the ongoing stress of inflation and economic uncertainty continues to impact supply chain stakeholders as well. The lack of a labor contract adds to this uncertainty,” the letter states.

The ILWU announced on Thursday, April 20 that it has reached a tentative agreement with the PMA on certain key issues, but the parties have agreed not to discuss the terms of these agreements as negotiations continue.

However, the PMA released a statement on the same day saying that “several key issues remain unresolved” and that ILWU is deliberately disrupting operations at key marine terminals — the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, two of the busiest ports in the U.S. — by conducting unscheduled inspections that are not routine.

The collective bargaining agreement that the ILWU and PMA are negotiating covers more than 22,000 longshore workers at 29 U.S. West Coast ports.

The Toy Association continues to monitor the situation closely and will remain engaged to keep members updated as negotiations continue.