Jury shocker: 93 million reasons why the ILWU may soon cease to exist

This story first reared its head in the first days of The Loadstar. Remember when, in 2012, the ILWU and International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) were arguing about whose job it was to plug and unplug reefer containers at Terminal 6 in Portland, Oregon? Well, it resulted in ILWU slowdowns, which affected the port. Now a jury has backed port operator ICTSI’s claims that the union’s campaign led to the loss of service contracts with two major shipping companies – approximately 98% of its business. Last week, a jury awarded awarded ICTSI $93.6m – an amount that could bankrupt the union. However, it is expected that ILWU will contest the judgment.