The union representing longshore workers in Dutch Harbor — as well as the rest of the state — reached a tentative bargaining agreement Friday evening, following nearly 18 months of negotiations.
The International Longshore and Warehouse Alaska Longshore Division said in a statement that it’s still up to union members to vote for the agreement.
Approximately 140 ILWU members work in the International Port of Dutch Harbor, with around 200 more workers around Alaska.
The union said they won’t release the details of the tentative agreement with the public until after they complete the ratification process, but said their time at the bargaining table represents “the importance and hard work” of union members, and the “sacrifices they made during the pandemic.”
The union’s West Coast division recently reached a similar agreement for their 22,000 members, which comes on the heels of labor disputes that led to the shutdown of cargo operations in Seattle.
If ratified, the Alaska Longshore Division’s new contract would apply until June, 2028.