US union action sees Hanjin Shipping opt out of Port of Portland

PORTLAND, Oregon – US maritime union action has forced Korea’s Hanjin Shipping out of the Port of Portland’s Terminal 6. The port operator, Philippines-headquartered ICTSI, said Hanjin’s decision to leave the Port of Portland from March 9, 2015 was due to the sustained and deliberate actions of ILWU (International Longshore and Warehouse Union) workers is a significant blow to the regional economy and will cause substantial disruption to many local businesses, workers and consumers.

In a statement, ICTSI said that, in 2012, a high-ranking ILWU representative promised to send Terminal 6 carriers, including Hanjin, “packing” if ICTSI Oregon did not assign work to ILWU members that was controlled by the Port of Portland and historically performed by another union.
Since that time, the ILWU has embarked on a long-standing and continuing campaign of work stoppages, slowdowns and safety gimmicks calculated to drive away the terminal’s customers and put ICTSI Oregon out of business. 
“As a result of the ILWU’s campaign, Portland has the lowest vessel productivity of any container terminal on the West Coast, and Hanjin has decided to cease its calls on Portland,” ICTSI said.
“Two separate National Labor Relations Board judges have ruled against the ILWU for these actions, which violated federal labor law.  Local federal judge Michael Simon also issued an injunction against ‎continuation of the ILWU’s conduct, a court order that the union violated. This violation resulted in a December 16, 2014 ‎order from Judge Simon finding the ILWU in contempt of court.‎

“Despite legal rulings against its subversive tactics, the ILWU’s campaign to drive Hanjin out of Portland has intensified. Productivity has slowed to a crawl, and ILWU gangs have walked off the job on numerous occasions. Vessels have been delayed time ‎and time again by these tactics.”

ICTSI said that with 20 years remaining on its lease and partnership with the Port of Portland, ICTSI Oregon would continue serving its remaining shipping customers, adding:  “We will also aggressively pursue new direct service for local businesses to Asia and other locations.

“As we move forward, it is important to underscore that the success of Terminal 6 requires the ILWU to end its more than two-year campaign against carriers, ICTSI Oregon and the Port of Portland.”
ICTSI is the largest port operator in the Philippines and has a portfolio of 29 container terminal operations in 21 countries across six continents. www.ICTSI.com (ATI).