THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, October 1, 1996 TAG: 9610010414
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: D1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY CHRISTOPHER DINSMORE, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: 60 lines
Negotiators for employers in the port of Hampton Roads and the labor union representing 2,000 of their workers toiled late into Monday evening trying to iron out the final details of a local labor contract.
The International Longshoremen's Association contract expired at midnight Monday, but there's no potential for a work stoppage unless the proposed contracts are rejected in voting Wednesday.
``I don't foresee any work stoppage,'' said Roger Giesinger, president and chief negotiator for the Hampton Roads Shipping Association, which represents the terminals, shipping lines and other employers of ILA labor in Hampton Roads.
Hampton Roads is the East Coast's second-largest cargo port after New York, handling more than 9 million tons of general cargo in 1995. The port's five major marine terminals keep the region's 2,000 ILA members busy.
``It's been going pretty good,'' Giesinger said of the local talks.
The talks have been ongoing since the master contract, covering container handling at all ILA ports from Maine to Texas, was agreed to Sept. 18.
The local contract covers such issues as wages for handling break-bulk cargo and guaranteed income.
``We're coming down to the last, where you've got to fish or cut bait,'' Giesinger said. ``There are some issues on the table that are pretty important to us, but are going to be pretty hard for them to swallow.''
He declined to describe those issues were, but said they mostly involved manning.
``I'm not going to push the panic button just yet,'' Giesinger said.
Local ILA leader Edward L. Brown could not be reached for comment.
The ILA and port management have until late this afternoon to iron out local details, Giesinger said.
The ILA is holding a mass meeting at Scope this evening to review the contract details with its members.
The vote will be held Wednesday. ILA members must ratify or reject the master container contract and the local contract separately, Giesinger said.
``It's a good, good contract for them,'' Giesinger said. ``What we've got in the master is savings for the container carriers as well as raises for the men.''
ILA members currently earn $15, $20 or $21 an hour depending on when they joined the union. The master contract provides raises of $2 an hour the first year and $1 an hour in the third and fifth year.
The five-year deal is the longest ever negotiated.
In exchange for the raises, the ILA agreed to gradually reduce the 18-man container gang to 15 men.
``We're getting the container gangs down to where everybody will be working,'' Giesinger said.
New hires into the ILA will start at $13 an hour. Those new hires will get a $1 an hour raise in the contract's third and fifth years.
The master contract also calls for the establishment of a managed health care program for ILA members and their dependents.
``The contract sets the stage way in to the future for the ILA to be competitive,'' Giesinger said.
KEYWORDS: ILA HAMPTON ROADS PORT UNION CONTRACT by CNB