ICTSI US unit wins labor dispute case

MANILA, Philippines – The International Container Terminal Services Inc. (ICTSI) has made gains in its labor despute against International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU International) and ILWU Local 8 (Local 8) after the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) of the US affirmed a decision in favor of the port operator’s subsidiary ICTSI Oregon, Inc.

In a statement ICTSI said the NLRB has affirmed the decision of an administrative law judge stating the ILWU International and Local 8 violated federal labor law by engaging in coercive activity directed against ICTSI Oregon,  at Terminal 6 at the Port of Portland.

The NLRB noted that for the period September 2012 until June 2013, ILWU members worked in a deliberately slow manner and disrupted productivity at Terminal 6.

The board likewise made the ILWU International and Local 8 responsible for such illegal conduct.

“The importance of this ruling should not be underestimated. Once again, the NLRB, a neutral federal agency charged with enforcing the nation’s labor laws, has found that the ILWU’s slowdowns and other efforts to interfere with production at Terminal 6 were illegal,” ICTSI Oregon president and chief executive officer Elvis Ganda said. 

He said the NLRB’s move means the ILWU must work with both ICTSI Oregon and the Port of Portland to bring back Terminal 6 back to full productivity.

ICTSI is the largest port operator in the Philippines.

At present, it has 29 container terminal operations in 21 countries across six continents under its portfolio.

As of end-September, ICTSI’s net income amounted to $143.7 million, slightly higher than the $142.3 million in the same period last year.

The higher net income was due to the uptick in revenues and volume growth in most terminals.