PORTLAND, Oregon: Governor John Kitzhaber tried to head off a walkout at the Port of Portland that could mean the port’s first longshore union work stoppage in decades.
The governor told both sides that he expects them to reach agreement in last-ditch talks set for today, The Oregonian reported.
Marine terminal security guards represented by the International Longshore and Warehouse Union plan to strike Sunday because contract talks that began in June 2011 have failed to yield an agreement. The longshoremen who load and unload ships are expected to honor the picket line, effectively closing three terminals.
Representatives of both the port and the union told the governor there was room for a deal, Kitzhaber spokesman Tim Raphael said. The port has faced a triple play of labour problems this year.
AP
