US Senate Youth Program

Pacific Maritime Association (PMA) negotiates and administers maritime labor agreements with the International Long shore and Warehouse Union (ILWU). PMA s 71 members are cargo carriers, terminal operators and stevedores that operate along the U.S. West Coast. The PMA and the ILWU are in a six-year labor contract, subject to ratification by the memberships of both parties. During the ratification process, the ILWU and PMA have agreed to extend the previous agreement which dates to 2002. West Coast port operations (including non-containerized cargo such as bulk and autos) now support 8 million U.S. jobs and contribute 11 percent of the U.S. GDP. The domestic business impact of West Coast port trade is $1.3 trillion - roughly equivalent to the GDP of Canada or Mexico.