The Port of Portland has ten marine terminals, all of which are experiencing good labor relations except for the one operated by ICTSI.
A bipartisan group of Oregon lawmakers issued a letter this week, calling for an end to a longstanding labor dispute that drove out a major container handler at the Port of Portland.
The letter was addressed to the heads of the Pacific Maritime Association and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union, as well as the leaders of the local ILWU chapter and Philippines-based port management service ICTSI — a company that contracts with the port to hire workers to remove containers from ships.
Jennifer Sargent, spokesperson for ILWU, said, “The ILWU is always open to having dialogue and improving operations with employers who play by the rules, but it’s impossible to improve productivity when (ICTSI Oregon) is failing to provide adequate staffing and equipment per its contract. … The Port of Portland has ten marine terminals, all of which are experiencing good labor relations except for the one operated by ICTSI. Terminal 6 doesn’t have a labor problem; it has a management problem.”