International Longshore and Warehouse Union affiliate with 

Panama Canal Pilots Union  

Delegates to the 35th convention of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) voted unanimously to affiliate with the Panama Canal Pilots Union.

The affiliation follows a long history of partnerships formed by the West Coast dockworkers with maritime unions in other regions of the world. As ILWU President Bob McEllrath stated in September when the Panamanians announced their intention to affiliate with the ILWU, "With so many employers now going global, it's critical for workers around the globe to join forces and work together."

Because each of the unions maintains its own contract and work rules, and there are often no-strike clauses prohibiting sympathy strikes while the contracts are in effect, the possibility of coordinated job actions involving the unions is remote.