Third Striking Port Pilot Returns to Work

A third striking pilot on Monday returned to work at the Port of Los Angeles as the job action entered its fourth week with no further negotiations scheduled.

With three of the pilots back on the job and a pair of pilot supervisors helping guide vessels in and out of the harbor, port officials say they are hardly feeling the impact of the strike. The move by the third pilot reduces the number of union strikers to 11; one of the 16 pilot positions was open when the strike began and another employee is on long-term disability.

Union attorney Elizabeth Garfield met Monday morning with the City Council’s Labor Relations Committee, but city attorneys said they have still not completed their analysis of the pilots’ proposal regarding privatization. The discussion was postponed until Thursday.

Bargaining sessions are not expected before then.

Since the strike began July 11, the union has asked the city to enter a one-year contract while pursuing a private company to run the operation. Included in the request are a number of requirements for the future contractor, which city officials say they may not be able to control.