News
The Pacific Maritime Association (PMC) on Wednesday offered to the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) a renewed proposal which includes a 14% wage hike in five years, 100% coverage of health care and an 11% increase in pension benefit, in an attempt to avert lockout or strike.
The contents of the PMA offer are as follows:
Wages
- Full-time ILWU workers already earn an average of $147,000 per year, which includes a base rate of $35.68 per hour, as well as very substantial skill rates, shift premiums, guarantees, overtime, vacation and holiday pay.
- Under the PMA's latest offer, the base rate would rise to $40.68 over five years - a 14% increase, or roughly 3% each year.
- Given the dramatic multipliers described above, average full-time wages can be expected to rise well above the current $147,000 per year.
Health care benefits
- ILWU workers, dependents and retirees currently receive fully employer paid health care, with no premiums, no in-network deductibles or co-pays, $1 prescriptions and 100 percent coverage of basic hospital, medical and surgical benefits.
- These benefits already cost employers $35,000 per worker per year; under the PMA offer, benefits would be fully maintained.
- A recent study by the University of Chicago ranked the cost of the ILWU plan in the nation's top 1 percent - a trend that is likely to continue under the PMA's latest offer.
Pension benefits
- The current maximum ILWU pension benefit is $79,920 per year, which is more than double the maximum benefit that was available as recently as 2002.
- The PMA proposal would increase the maximum pension benefit by 11.1% to $88,800 per year.
Additional contract provisions
- Existing pay guarantees would be increased to 40 hours per week.
- ILWU would hold jurisdiction over maintenance and repair of truck chassis.
