It looks like the illegal slowdowns by ILWU that ended up destroying the Port of Portland and leaving it’s own members jobless when shipping companies cut all ties has finally reached a head – in the bankruptcy of ILWU.

The bankruptcy of the union was the final result of a decades-old litigation between the union and an affiliate of the International Container Terminal Services Inc. It started as, what a jury later determined, to be illegal tactics when workers for years caused operational disruptions at the Port of Portland.

After a 10-day trial in late 2019, a jury found ICTSI was entitled to over $93.6 million in damages – an astounding and unheard of record amount. Especially in union-friendly Oregon. While the union challenged the fine and a judge reduced the amount owed by the union to just over $19 million (March 2020), the amount was still too much.

ILWU filed for bankruptcy in Oct 2023.

Still, the damage was done. The Port of Portland went completly dark. May 2016 was when the last container ship left the facility and all dock work was permanently lost.

2023 Update:

In 2020, the Port of Portland has again started accepting container ships and are back up to just over half it’s former volume. Lets hope cooler heads have now prevailed and the militant rhetoric ended.

Articles:

• https://www.oregonlive.com/business/2019/11/jury-awards-936-million-to-former-operator-of-ports-terminal-6-for-losses-due-to-dock-workers-unlawful-labor-practices.html
• https://lbbusinessjournal.com/ports/ilwu-lawsuit-bankruptcy-long-beach/
• https://www.wsj.com/articles/port-of-portland-loses-last-container-ship-service-1463696432
• https://www.ship-technology.com/features/featurehow-did-the-port-of-portland-lose-its-entire-container-business-4996185/#:~:text=At%20the%20end%20of%20May,port’s%20container%20business%20with%20them.