ILA contract extension rebuff 'disappoints' NY-NJ employers

THE New York Shipping Association (NYSA) employers say the rejection by the International Longshoremen's (ILA) of a proposal to extend the existing labour contract is a major blow to port growth and the prospects of entry-level dockers' at a time of severe economic downturn.

The 200-strong ILA wage scale committee rejected the two-year extension of its Atlantic and Gulf coast master contract, thus delaying the wage increase that would offset a general wage increase by one year effective October 1, 2010.

The rejection was "disappointing" said NYSA president Joseph Curton and will harm entry-level dockers who stood to benefit from an immediate increase from US$16 to $20 an hour and stop back-dated wages at the lower wage scale.

The Port of New York and New Jersey is "on the brink of increased growth, with the expected doubling of cargo by 2020. With growth come jobs - increased hours for existing workers and creation of jobs for future workers as well," said past NYSA president Frank McDonough.

(Source: www.schednet.com)