Excerpts from the Capital Press:
The longshoremen’s union previously said it preferred to continue talks and did not want to strike.
The Pacific Northwest Grain Handlers Association, which represents the six terminals in Seattle, Tacoma and Vancouver, Wash., and Portland, Ore., said the facilities are “in full operation and have no present plans for a lockout” of longshoremen.
The two sides agreed to sit down at additional meetings on Dec. 11 and 12 along with federal mediators who have tried to resolve the dispute, which centers on work rules rather than pay and benefits.
The grain handlers said in a statement they have an “open mind” about the meetings but “are aware of nothing that changes our conclusions that we are at a bargaining impasse.”
A spokesperson for the longshoremen’s union said it was looking forward to reaching a deal.