Gov. Jay Inslee

Gov. Jay Inslee

”We know that common ground can be met with good faith bargaining as shown by the TEMCO agreement and hope similar negotiations and progress can be made here. I can’t emphasize enough the importance of resolving this issue.”

— Gov. Jay Inslee, WA

ILWU Local 4 President Cager Clabaugh received the following letter this week, addressed to him and to Gary Schuld, President of Mitsui-United Grain:

July 11, 2013

Cager Clabaugh, President, ILWU Local 4
Gary Schuld, President, United Grain Corporation

Dear Mr. Schuld and Mr. Clabaugh:

I am writing to follow up on my earlier conversations with both parties regarding the situation at the Port of Vancouver.

I am concerned that the current situation in Vancouver remains unresolved and that talks have not taken place in recent weeks. As I have discussed with both of you, this situation has the potential of damaging the long term reputation of Washington ports and has negatively impacted both the workers and the company. While I appreciate the patience and restraint that both parties have shown to date, we need to have talks that lead toward developing an equitable, long term solution to this dispute.

I strongly encourage both sides to renew a constructive dialogue on addressing the outstanding issues. Reengaging the Federal Mediator would be an important first step in this regard. We know that common ground can be met with good faith bargaining as shown by the TEMCO agreement and hope similar negotiations and progress can be made here.

I can’t emphasize enough the importance of resolving this issue and maintaining the positive working relationships that have allowed Washington ports to be competitive in the global marketplace.

Very Truly yours,

Jay Inslee, Governor

Download:

Letter from Gov. Jay Inslee to ILWU and Mitsui-United Grain

Click on the image to download a PDF of Gov. Jay Inslee’s letter to ILWU Local 4 and Mitsui-United Grain.