The International Longshore and Warehouse Union has been recently engaged in a jurisdictional dispute with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers over what amounts to two jobs handling refrigerated containers at Portland's Terminal 6 since June. The Port of Portland signed a lease with international terminal operator ICTSI to operate the port's only container facility at Terminal 6 two years ago, and since then have continued to employ IBEW workers to handle the reefer containers. This was until the ILWU claimed reefer work as their jurisdiction this past spring. The ILWU allegedly began engaging in work slowdowns to press its point, and this resulted in long truck lines at the terminal gate and shipping lines began to divert vessel calls to other ports.

This jurisdictional dispute continues despite a recent labor board ruling in favor of the IBEW. ILWU Coast Committeeman Leal Sundet responded to the National Labor Relations Board's decision that the IBEW, not the ILWU, has jurisdiction over work on refrigerated containers at the Port of Portland by implying that the NLRB ruling is "worthless" because it will be superseded by the coast-wide contract between the ILWU and the Pacific Maritime Association, which includes carriers such as Hanjin Shipping Co. and Hapag-Lloyd. This contract is a bargaining agreement that covers all waterfront employers on the West Coast.

For more information regarding this matter, please contact your Liberty account representative. 

In mid-July the MSC Flaminia was engulfed in flames for days after an explosion halfway through its journey from Charleston to Antwerp, damaging the ship severely. Now, a general average has been declared by the owner of the MSC Flaminia. With a general average all parties with cargo on the ship will proportionally share losses resulting from efforts to save the ship and its contents. MSC announced that the ship's owner appointed Schlimme & Partner GmbH of Hamburg, in association with Rogers, Wilkin, Ahern LLP of London as general average adjusters, and that Groninger Welke Janssen had been named their collecting agents.

At this time the MSC Flaminia remains 240 miles off of the British coast, and negotiations continue for permission to enter the coastal area or an emergency port.

Above is another example on the importance of insuring your cargo. A general average claim against an uninsured company can quickly reach into the tens of thousands.

To review your company's insurance program in more detail, contact our office today to arrange a free insurance analysis. Marine Insurance provided by Liberty International will cover you in case of loss.

Let Liberty take the worry out of your international transaction, contact our office today for information on Marine Insurance coverage through Roanoke Insurance.