Q&A: Federal mediation and the PMA-ILWU contract

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This week the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service honked the cavalry bugle and came riding at the eleventh hour to save the US from container congestion chaos on a cinematic scale – some would argue that it has already reached that level, but let’s not let reality stand in the way of an extended alliteration… Anyway, while it’s certainly good news that someone has arrived at the negotiations between workers and employers in west coast ports, what does it actually mean, and what powers does the FMCS really wield? The Journal of Commerce has published a handy FAQ-esque list – if you aren’t a regular JOC reader don’t be put off by the paywall, you get five free articles a month.