Thursday, August 21, 2014
ILA claims no liability for Baltimore port losses caused by 2013 strike
Dockworkers who went on strike at the Port of Baltimore in 2013 say they are not liable for related losses sustained by their employers, in part because the coast-wide labor contract banning such strikes does not apply to them.
The claim was made in a federal court filing on behalf of International Longshoremen's Association Local 333. Port employers sued the union last month for $3.86 million in damages — the amount arbitrator M. David Vaughn determined the employers lost during the union's three-day October strike last year.
Dockworkers walked off the job after failing to come to terms on a local labor contract covering automobiles, paper and other breakbulk cargo with the Steamship Trade Association of Baltimore, which represents local employers.
Vaughn’s estimates were based on his finding that the strike violated a no-strike provision in the master contract covering container cargo with the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX), which represents employers in container shipping. ILA and USMX agreed to the master contract in the spring of 2013, and Local 333 members have been working since then under that contract.
In Monday’s filing, ILA attorney Jennifer Stair argued that the terms of the master contract submitted to Local 333 membership included a provision that it "would not go into effect" until local agreements were reached — and that no such agreement has been reached. She also argued that the lawsuit has no merit because it was filed before the expiration of Vaughn's 180-day jurisdiction in the case.
In response to the union's filing, U.S. District Judge Ellen L. Hollander recommended a Sept. 15 conference call to discuss a schedule for the case.
For more of the Baltimore Sun story: www.baltimoresun.com
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