Perez Demands PMA, ILWU Wrap Up West Coast Talks by Feb. 20, Says Retail Lobbyist

Labor Secretary Tom Perez is giving the Pacific Maritime Association and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union until Feb. 20 to reach an agreement on the months-long labor contract impasse at West Coast ports, National Retail Federation trade expert Jonathan Gold said in a statement (here). If the two sides fail to strike a deal, Perez should send contract negotiators to Washington to bring a final resolution on a new contract, said Gold.

In that event, President Barack Obama should “personally engage in the discussions until an agreement is reached,” said Gold. “The nation’s retailers and supply chain stakeholders cannot afford another week of uncertainty at the Pacific ports, where dozens upon dozens of ships and thousands of containers are held out at sea, and where hundreds of millions of dollars in consumer goods, inventory and merchandise sit idle,” said Gold. “The ILWU and PMA need to reach a final agreement today.” The PMA hasn't announced another shut down this weekend, after cutting ILWU work both of the previous weekends (see 1502160006). The administration didn’t comment publicly on the deadline or relocating the talks to Washington.