A union local has filed an unfair labor practice claim against the owner of a Pacific Northwest grain terminal that locked out employees after alleging a worker sabotaged equipment.
The union contract between longshoremen and the companies that operate six grain terminals in the Pacific Northwest expires Sunday, threatening to disrupt shipments of wheat, corn and soybeans to Asia as the weight of last year's violent protests in Longview, Wash., bears down on negotiations.
The International Longshore and Warehouse Union filed a federal lawsuit Thursday over money the Port of Portland recently agreed to pay to its terminal operator to help cover losses caused by the work slowdowns and cargo diversions that highlighted this summer's labor strife.