Following negotiations with International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) Local 23 and the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA), an agreement was reached allowing Tacoma longshore workers to load and discharge Alaska-bound domestic cargo ships.
Approximately 70 percent of all commercial goods consumed in Alaska are shipped through Port of Tacoma terminals. The agreement allows Totem
Ocean Trailer Express (TOTE) vessels to be discharged and loaded at the TOTE Terminal on the Blair Waterway. Also, CSX container ships will be
discharged and loaded at the APM Terminal on the Sitcum Waterway.