Port Employers Ask NLRB to Force Dockworkers to Bargaining Table.

Port employers in the United States have asked the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) to require the International Longshoremen's Association (ILA) to resume bargaining before their contract expires on September 30. The ILA has threatened to go on strike on October 1 if a new six-year contract is not agreed upon. The United States Maritime Alliance (USMX) has accused the ILA of engaging in unfair labor practices and claims that the union has repeatedly refused to bargain since canceling negotiations earlier this summer. The NLRB could order the union to resume bargaining if it is determined that the USMX has been engaging in good faith negotiations. The two sides are currently far apart on pay and the issue of automation. [Extracted from the article]