President George W. Bush’s court order opening the shuttered West Coast ports was either a good or bad thing, depending on whether you talked to the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA) or the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU). The order ended the management lockout of 10,500 dockworkers in 29 Pacific ports, but disappointed some local officials who said they felt an opportunity for a true settlement had been missed.
Fifteenth District Councilwoman Janis Hahn, who represents the harbor area, said she would be happy to see the ports reopen. ”But I am upset because I don‘t think we really needed federal intervention. And Taft-Hartley,“ the 1947 federal statute under which Bush acted, ”has really never solved labor-management disagreements.“
Hahn added that the ILWU had been ready to return to work under a 30-day extension of the contract that expired in July. ”This was four times longer than the week maximum extension proposed last Sunday.“ But PMA president Joseph Minace termed the union proposal as just a ploy ”to avoid Taft-Hartley.“