The head of the longshore labor union in Portland, Ore., said Tuesday he will work in “partnership” with a new terminal operator to improve productivity at the Port of Portland.
“We plan on doing the best job that organized labor can do,” Jeff Smith, head of the Portland local of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union, told the 11th annual Journal of Commerce Trans-Pacific Maritime Conference here.
ICTSI last month signed a 25-year lease to take over operations at the port’s Terminal 6, a container and breakbulk facility. ICTSI paid $8 million to close the deal and will pay $4.5 million annually to the Pacific Northwest port.