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Port workers walk out
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July 6, 1999: 8:59 p.m. ET
Union closes Oakland; stages slowdown in L.A. and Long Beach
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NEW YORK (CNNfn) - Dockworkers walked off the job Tuesday at the Port of Oakland, Calif., and staged a work slowdown at two other West Coast ports.
The job actions come several days after contract talks between the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) and the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA), an industry negotiating group, broke down.
According to a statement from PMA, members of the ILWU shut down operations at Oakland and staged slowdowns at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.
The ILWU's contract with the ports expired at 5 p.m. on July 1. Talks between the ILWU and PMA broke down July 3.
"We deeply regret the union decided to stage these actions at the California ports," said PMA president and chief executive Joseph Miniace. "We proposed a total wage and benefits package that would make the West Coast longshore union members among the highest compensated union workers in America. After we met their demand for a 32 percent increase in pension benefits for future retirees, and had offered a 15 percent increase for previous retirees, they expressed disappointment that we did not meet their 40 percent demand for previous retirees. This latter issue is a non-mandatory subject of bargaining."
Representatives of the ILWU could not be reached for comment. 
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