LOS ANGELES (AP) -- The West Coast dockworkers union sat down Monday with the association representing giant shipping companies to begin an early round of contract talks with the aim of avoiding a replay of a damaging 10-day lockout in 2002.The initial meeting took place in San Francisco between the heads of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union, which has 14,800 registered members, and the Pacific Maritime Association, representing 72 shipping companies.
The talks cover a contract that expires July 1 and would apply to workers at 29 West Coast ports from San Diego to Bellingham, Wash.
Those ports handled 16 million cargo containers last year and accounted for an annual domestic impact of $1.2 trillion, about 11 percent of the U.S. gross domestic product, the association said.
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