West Coast dockworkers, shippers reach tentative contract agreement

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The union for thousands of West Coast dockworkers has reached a tentative agreement on a new contract after more than a year of negotiations and several work disruptions that snarled shipping traffic at some of the largest ports. On Wednesday the dockworkers union announced a tentative deal for a new six-year contract with the Pacific Maritime Association, a trade group for cargo carriers and terminal operators. However, details weren’t released. If ratified, the agreement will affect 22,000 dockworkers at 29 ports from Washington state through California. The dockworkers have been without a contract since last July. They were demanding higher wages, noting that shippers and terminal operators made record profits during the COVID-19 pandemic.