The ILWU, which represents dockworkers on the US west coast, will announce the official results of the vote on August 4, reported American Shipper.
The current ILWU-PMA labour deal, which was struck in 2015 after a lengthy and contentious negotiation that left many west coast ports highly congested and the supply chains of those that depended on them in disarray, was scheduled to expire on July 1, 2019.
Following the last round of contract negotiations, trade organisations representing shippers and transportation providers began urging ILWU president Robert McEllrath and PMA chairman and CEO James McKenna to begin early discussions on either a contract extension or a new contract.
The ILWU said its members have spent the last year debating the proposed contract extension, which it says will raise wages, maintain health benefits, and increase pensions for dockworkers.