Hawai'i dock talks resuming

By Susan Hooper
Advertiser Staff Writer

A cargo ship was being loaded at the Evergreen Shipping Terminal in Los Angeles over the weekend as West Coast dockworkers and shipping companies reached tentative agreement on a contract to end the drawn-out labor dispute. Associated Press

Hawai'i union and stevedore company representatives last met formally the first week of November, spokesmen for both sides said yesterday.

Both sides in the Hawai'i talks said they want to review the tentative six-year contract agreement announced Sunday between West Coast dockworkers and shipping companies before continuing negotiations.

The four Hawai'i stevedoring industry companies involved are represented by the Hawaii Employers Council. Tim Ho, the council president, could not say what effect the West Coast settlement might have on talks in the Islands.

"The settlement on the West Coast will enable us to now continue our bargaining toward final resolution of the remaining issues," Ho said. "If that bridge hadn't been crossed, we would not have been able to now attempt to resolve all of our remaining contract issues."

Eusebio Lapenia Jr., president of Local 142 of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union, said the union's negotiating committee expects to review the West Coast contract.

"Normally, we like to seek economic parity with the (West) coast, but this is something that we have to discuss within our negotiating committee," he said. "We try to look at the total economic package, and more the wages and pensions and things of that nature.

" ... As a whole, we would certainly like to maintain whatever benefits we have now," Lapenia said. "But we don't know what the employer will try to do, because we have not touched the economic issues yet."

The two parties in the Hawai'i talks said they had settled a number of "noncost" issues. Neither side would comment specifically, but these could include work rules and agreements in operational areas that do not involve cost-related issues such as wages and benefits.

A major point of conflict in the West Coast dock talks was the shipping companies' desire to introduce what they described as cost-saving technologies, and the union's concern that members share in those benefits.

Lapenia said that issue was not a top priority in the Hawai'i talks.

"We'll take a look at the language and how it will affect us, and take it from there," he said. "It's not an immediate concern, because the kind of technology on the West Coast has not immediately impacted Hawai'i. But it will trickle down."

The Hawai'i longshore contract expired June 30, and the two sides have been on a day-by-day extension since, meaning either side may cancel the contract with 24 hours' notice.

The West Coast longshore talks were settled with the help of a federal mediator after the Pacific Maritime Association, representing the shipping companies, locked out dockworkers at the 29 major Pacific ports. President Bush intervened to halt the lockout after 10 days with the help of an emergency provision of the Taft-Hartley Act.

Lapenia characterized the tone of the Hawai'i talks as good, saying, "It's nothing to a point yet where we have to have a federal mediator involved."

Ho said, "I certainly would agree that the negotiations thus far have been constructive, and we've had meaningful dialogue on a number of issues which we have reached settlement on."