The Pacific Maritime Association (PMA) has announced it will temporarily suspend vessel operations on Thursday as well as Saturday through Monday, amid ongoing contract negotiations with the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU). 

Yard, gate and rail operations will continue at terminal operators' discretion.

Thursday is Lincoln's Birthday - a holiday in some U.S. states - and Monday is a federal holiday, Washington's Birthday.

The PMA said weekend and holiday pay rates commanded a premium of at least 50% of the basic longshore wage rate, and it would not pay "ILWU workers such high rates for severely diminished productivity while the backlog of cargo at West Coast ports grows."

It said working hours on those days would have been paid at between US$54 and US$75 per hour for longshore workers and clerks, and between US$77 and US$92 per hour for foremen.

The PMA also suspended vessel unloading and loading operations last weekend.

"Last week, PMA made a comprehensive contract offer designed to bring these talks to conclusion," PMA spokesman Wade Gates said in a statement.

"The ILWU responded with demands they knew we could not meet, and continued slowdowns that will soon bring West Coast ports to gridlock. What they're doing amounts to a strike with pay, and we will reduce the extent to which we pay premium rates for such a strike."

The PMA also said while the ILWU had claimed the parties were close to reaching an agreement, the union was continuing to push demands that would cripple West Coast ports, such as the right to fire any arbitrator who rules against them at the end of each contract period.

The PMA also claimed that during the 2008 - 2014 control period, the four area arbitrators found the ILWU guilty of more than 200 slowdowns or work stoppages.

"The ILWU's current slowdowns, now in their fourth month, show the very reason that we need a healthy arbitration system in place," Gates said.

"It is essential to be able to prevent the crippling slowdowns that are impacting workers and businesses across the nation."

The ILWU has responded by emphasizing the vessel operation suspensions were employer-initiated - not worker strikes - and it called on the PMA to "work vessels, deliver cargo, and resume talks."

"This action marks the second time in less than a week that employers have idled vessels," an ILWU statement said.

"The same group of predominantly foreign-owned companies also cancelled a negotiating session scheduled today (Feb. 11) for 1pm with the ILWU's Negotiating Committee. The employers have not made themselves available to negotiate since Friday of last week."

ILWU president Robert McEllrath described the suspensions as "an effort by the employers to put economic pressure on our members and to gain leverage in contract talks."

"The Union is standing by ready to negotiate, as we have been for the past several days," McEllrath said.

The ILWU statement added that "at the same time that PMA announced this action and cancelled today's negotiations, PMA's public relations firm issued a press release that grossly mischaracterizes the ILWU's current bargaining position."

McEllrath said it seemed as though the employers were trying to sabotage negotiations.

"They are not just hurting workers, families and communities - what our employers are doing is bad for the industry and the US economy," he said.

The ILWU also responded to the PMA's claims last week that full-time ILWU workers currently earned an average of US$147,000 per year.

"Longshore workers earn excellent benefits and good hourly wages ranging from US$26-US$41 per hour. Most are unable to work a full 2000 hours in a normal work year," the statement said.

"The typical pay for an experienced longshore worker is US$83,000. Longshore work is extremely hazardous, with fatality rates exceeding those of police and firefighters."

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