Negotiations for a labor deal at West Coast ports are nearing completion, with indications of progress reported amidst conflicting information about a potential agreement. The final unresolved issue involves the terms of arbitrators who handle labor disputes, which could affect their independence. A resolution is crucial as delays in port operations have caused significant disruptions for businesses since October.

1. West Coast ports labor deal may be near
West Coast ports labor deal may be near - San Jose Mercury News
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West Coast ports labor negotiations resume Friday morning amid reports that an accord may be
near on a final, contentious issue.
Sources told this newspaper that a deal hasn't been reached yet, butthere were indications of
progress.
"Something happened" in negotiations Thursday, one source told this newspaper, .
The Journal of Commerce, a trade publication that follows the activities of West Coast ports, said a
five-year deal was reached Thursday night. The news was briefly posted Friday morning on the
Journal's website and reported by CNBC, but taken down after only a few minutes.
The Journal also tweeted that "trusted sources" said the union and employers had reached a
contract, but followed later with a post that there were "conflicting reports" about the possibility of a
deal.
The Pacific Maritime Association, representing employers, and the International Longshore and
Warehouse Union, have been in intense negotiations since Tuesday following the arrival of Labor
Secretary Tom Perez, who told mayors of port cities Thursday that if a deal wasn't reached Friday,
negotiations would continue in Washington D.C.
Only one issue remained unresolved late Thursday night, according to the website of U.S. Senator
Barbara Boxer. That is the length of the terms of four arbitrators who rule on labor disputes at the
coast's 29 ports.
The ILWUwants arbitrators' terms to end at the end of a contract period, usually four to six years,
with either the union or employers able to decide whether to renew them for another term. The
Pacific Maritime Association argues this would destroy the arbitrators' independence.
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Negotiations are in their ninth month. Since October, port operations have slowed significantly,
causing delays in shipments of cargo and hardships on importers and exporters.

2. The Labor Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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