Federal Mediation & Conciliation Service Director George H. Cohen has issued the following statement:
"I am extremely pleased to announce that the parties have reached a tentative agreement for a comprehensive successor Master Agreement. The tentative agreement is subject to the ratification procedures of both parties and, as well, to agreements being achieved in a number of local union negotiations.
Those local negotiations are ongoing and will continue without interruption to any port operation. Out of respect for the parties' ratification processes, and consistent with the Agency's long-standing confidentiality policy, we will not disclose any details concerning the substantive provisions that have been reached."