Contract negotiations resumed Tuesday between office clerical workers and waterfront employers in Southern California. It was the first face-to-face meeting in six months between the Office Clerical Unit of International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 63 and the attorney representing 14 waterfront employers.
Employers received a shock last month when the coast arbitrator who handles disputes between the ILWU and the PMA ruled the ILWU dockworkers could legally refuse to cross a picket line set up by the OCU. The office workers could potentially shut down the ports if they established pickets at the terminals where their workers are represented.