Blog Archives

Deal reached in West Coast dockworkers dispute

2/21/2015

Well it finally looks like the West Coast Ports may be open for business. Let's see how long it takes for the traffic to reach us!

Elizabeth Weise and Chris Woodyard, USAToday

SAN FRANCISCO — Negotiators reached a tentative contract covering West Coast dockworkers on Friday evening, likely ending a protracted labor dispute that snarled international trade at seaports handling about $1 trillion worth of cargo annually.

The breakthrough came after nine months of negotiations that turned contentious in the fall, when dockworkers and their employers began blaming each other for problems getting imports to consumers and exports overseas.

Nick Ut, AP
The Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, with some cargo loading cranes in the more
Labor Secretary Tom Perez, who heralded the tentative deal in a conference call with reporters, says that normal operations were slated to resume on the docks starting Saturday night. But he's not sure how long it will take to clear a cargo backlog that has left produce rotting because it couldn't be loaded on ships and retailers frustrated at not receiving needed shipments.
The agreement "brings to an end what has become a significant headwind" to the economy, with "too many innocent people and businesses suffering," he says. The result of the slowdown in the ports, including several days of closure to ship movements this month, has been "empty shelves and angry customers."
Perez, who joined the talks in San Francisco this week, says the tentative agreement was reached as he was about to follow through on a threat to both sides to either come to an agreement or face the grim prospect of having to go to Washington next week to hammer out remaining issues.
"That was the direction from the president: Get this done now, but if necessary, in Washington," Perez said.
The five-year deal between the International Longshore and Warehouse Union and the Pacific Maritime Association — representing shipping companies and port terminal operators — involves 29 ports from San Diego to Seattle. They handle about one-quarter of all U.S. international trade, much of it with Asia. Details were not being disclosed pending the ratification vote.
"We are pleased to have reached an agreement that is good for workers and for the industry," said PMA President James McKenna and ILWU President Bob McEllrath in a joint statement. "We are also pleased that our ports can now resume full operations."
Negotiators for the union and PMA began formal talks in May. Their previous six-year contract expired July 1.

In a statement released late Friday, White House spokesman Josh Earnest said President Obama has called on the parties to now work together on backlogs and congestion as the agreement moves forward.
"This is great news for the parties involved in the negotiation and a huge relief for our economy -- particularly the countless American workers, farmers and businesses that have been affected by the dispute and those facing even greater disruption and costs within further delays," Earnest said.
Those who depend on reliable shipments through the ports expressed relief at word of the tentative accord. But they aren't predicting normal operations anytime soon.
"We know that even upon ratification, clearing up the congestion will take months," says Peter Friedmann, executive director of the Agriculture Transportation Coalition.
He says agriculture "has taken a beating" as a result of the dispute, leading overseas customers to shop in other nations for meat, fruit, hay, cotton, rice, nuts, french fries and lumber.
Likewise, the National Retail Federation issued a statement hailing the breakthrough, but saying the bargaining system needs to be reformed.
"As we welcome today's news, we must dedicate ourselves to finding a new way to ensure that this nightmare scenario is not repeated again," the association said. "If we are to truly have modern international trade, supply chain and transportation systems, we must develop a better process for contract negotiations moving forward."
Perez says that when he joined negotiations, the remaining big sticking point involved the arbitration system to resolve disagreements. The agreement should create a more efficient system, he says.
Under current rules, neutral arbitrators preside over labor disputes between workers and PMA.
If negotiations had moved to Washington, it could have meant that the White House was potentially considering invoking Taft-Hartley. Officially the Labor Management Relations Act of 1947, it allows presidents to get involved in labor disputes. In his statement, Earnest noted that President Obama had been kept apprised of the situation in recent weeks before dispatching Perez.
However, for the president to invoke it, there would have to be either a strike or a lockout in effect.

USA TODAY
Voices: Labor dispute brings eerie stillness to L.A. port

The last time Taft-Hartley was used was in 2002, when President George W. Bush forced West Coast ports to open. In that instance, port employers locked port workers out for 10 days because of what they called a union slowdown.
National Retail Federation Vice President for Supply Chain and Customs Policy Jonathan Gold said earlier in the day on Friday that after nearly a week of Perez being dispatched to help settle the problem, nothing had happened.
"If a deal is not reached today, we support the decision to move the negotiations to Washington and we call upon the president to personally engage in the discussions until an agreement is reached," he said.
Weise reported from San Francisco and Woodyard from Los Angeles.
Copyright Gannett 2015

0 Comments

FAQ for Anthem.

2/19/2015

0 Comments

Here is some more info about the recent cyber attack on Anthem.

Was my information accessed?
Anthem is currently conducting an extensive IT Forensic Investigation to determine what members are impacted. We are working around the clock to determine how many people have been impacted and will notify all Anthem members who are impacted through a written communication.

What information has been compromised?
Initial investigation indicates that the member data accessed included names, dates of birth, member ID/ social security numbers, addresses, phone numbers, email addresses and employment information.

Who is responsible for this cyber attack or breach?
Anthem is working closely with federal law enforcement investigators. At this time, no one person or entity has been identified as the attacker.

When will I receive my letter in the mail?
We continue working to identify the members who are impacted. We will begin to mail letters to impacted members in the coming weeks.

How can I sign up for credit monitoring/identity protection services?
All impacted members, former members and impacted affiliated plan members will receive notice via mail which will advise them of the protections being offered. Impacted members may also sign up via AnthemFacts.com.

Do the people who accessed my information know about my medical history?
No - our investigation to date indicates there was no diagnosis or treatment data exposed.

Do the people who accessed my information have my credit card numbers?
No, our current investigation shows the information accessed did not include credit card numbers or banking info.

Did this impact all lines of Anthem Business?
At this point in the investigation, it appears that all product lines are impacted except for those current or former Anthem members who had coverage for workers compensation, life or disability insurance only.

Is my (plan/brand) impacted?
The impacted (plan/brand) include Anthem Blue Cross, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Georgia, Empire Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Amerigroup, Caremore, Unicare, HealthKeepers and Golden West.

How can I be sure my personal and health information is safe with Anthem, Inc.?
Anthem is doing everything it can to ensure there is no further vulnerability to its database warehouses. Anthem has contracted with a global company specializing in the investigation and resolution of cyber attacks. We will work with this company to reduce the risk of any further vulnerabilities and work to strengthen security.

Does this impact Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans not owned by Anthem?
Yes, BlueCard members are impacted. The Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association's BlueCard is a national program that enables members of one Blue Cross and Blue Shield Plan to obtain healthcare services while traveling or living in another Blue Cross and Blue Shield Plan's service area. The program links participating healthcare providers with the independent Blue Cross and Blue Shield Plans across the country and in more than 200 countries and territories worldwide through a single electronic network for claims processing and reimbursement.

The independent Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans affected include some members of Arkansas BCBS, BCBS of Alabama, BCBS of Arizona, BCBS of Hawaii, BCBS of Kansas, BCBS of Kansas City, BCBS of Louisiana, BCBS of Massachusetts, BCBS of Michigan, BCBS of Minnesota, BCBS of Mississippi, BCBS of Nebraska, BCBS of North Carolina, BCBS of North Dakota, BCBS of Rhode Island, BCBS of South Carolina, BCBS of Tennessee, BCBS of Vermont, BCBS of Wyoming, Blue Cross of Idaho, Blue Shield of California, Capital Blue Cross, CareFirst BCBS, BCBS of Florida, GeoBlue, HealthNow New York, Highmark BCBS, Horizon BCBS, Hospital Service Association of Northeastern PA, Independence Blue Cross, La Cruz Azul, Lifetime Healthcare, Inc., Premera BCBS, Wellmark BCBS, BlueCross BlueShield of Illinois, BlueCross BlueShield of Texas, BlueCross BlueShield of Oklahoma, BlueCross BlueShield of New Mexico, BlueCross BlueShield of Montana, Regence BlueCross BlueShield (in Oregon & Utah) and Regence BlueShield (in Idaho and portions of Washington state).

I think I received a scam email related to Anthem's cyber attack?
Members who may have been impacted by the cyber attack against Anthem, should be aware of scam email campaigns targeting current and former Anthem members. These scams, designed to capture personal information (known as "phishing") are designed to appear as if they are from Anthem and the emails include a "click here" link for credit monitoring. These emails are NOT from Anthem.

DO NOT click on any links in email.
DO NOT reply to the email or reach out to the senders in any way.
DO NOT supply any information on the website that may open, If you have clicked on a link in email.
DO NOT open any attachments that arrive with email.

Members who have provided e-mails to Anthem and have opted in to receiving communications may receive an e-mail directing them to visit AnthemFacts.com to sign up for services. This e-mail is scheduled to be distributed the week of Feb. 16. This email, sent due to state notification requirements, will not ask for personal information and will not contain a link to any websites other than AnthemFacts.com

I received a call from Anthem related to this cyber attack asking for my information, what should I do?
Anthem is not calling members regarding the cyber attack and is not asking for credit card information or social security numbers over the phone. All impacted members will receive notice via mail which will advise them of the protections being offered to them as well as any next steps.

If you believe you have been a victim of a scam or identity theft crime related to this incident, please file with the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) at www.IC3.gov . Please be as descriptive as possible identifying your complaint as “Anthem” and try to include the following:

Details on how, when, and why you believe you were defrauded.
Identifiers of the perpetrators such as names, email addresses, websites, bank fraud information, and beneficiary names.
Actual or attempted loss amounts.
Header information from email messages.
Other relevant information to support your complaint.

Complainants are encouraged to save all original documentation, emails, faxes, and logs from communications in the event you are contacted by Law Enforcement.

Does this impact Blue Cross and Blue Shield Federal Employee Program plans?
Yes, based upon the investigation thus far, it appears that Blue Cross and Blue Shield Federal Employee Program plans members are impacted. The Blue Cross and Blue Shield Service Benefit Plan is part of the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP.)

If I choose to purchase credit monitoring and repair services effective immediately, will Anthem reimburse me?
No. Anthem is contracting with a trusted vendor to provide free identity repair services, which will be retroactive to the date of the potential exposure, and credit monitoring to all those impacted, and will not reimburse for services that you may have independently purchased.

0 Comments

Deal reached in West Coast dockworkers dispute

FAQ for Anthem.

Local 506

Archives

Categories