The modest momentum that had been building toward settlement of a new contract for West Coast dockworkers was derailed Friday when the International Longshore and Warehouse Union caucus empowered the union's negotiating committee to go directly to the union membership to seek strike authorization.

The union also announced that it will not be available to resume negotiations with the Pacific Maritime Association until Aug. 13.

Although the strike authorization move will not necessarily lead directly to a strike vote, it does give the ILWU negotiating committee the ability to streamline the process should the committee seek a strike vote. The union would be able to bypass the normal procedure of calling its 80-plus caucus members back to San Francisco for another meeting.

Waterfront employers responded angrily to what they consider a delaying tactic by the union.

"The delegation of authority to call a strike is a threat to an already fragile economy," said PMA President Joseph Miniace. With the peak shipping season at hand, and cargo flows at West Coast ports already far-surpassing the volumes of last summer, retailers and importers are concerned about their ability to import holiday merchandise in time for the Christmas season.

Shipping lines and terminal operators represented by the PMA had expected that the union would seek to resume contract negotiations by mid-week next week.

"It is hard to imagine what could be more important to the members of the ILWU than getting back to the table and securing a new contract," Miniace said in a statement.

Although the ILWU has agreed to extend the former contract into mid-August, which means that work slowdowns are unlikely, Miniace said that putting the negotiations on hold for more than two weeks creates uncertainty in the international trade community.

A local group in Southern California has been distributing leaflets at a Home Depot store, urging shoppers to boycott the company because of its membership in an organization of importers and exporters that is encouraging the ILWU and PMA to quickly reach a contract.

A two-week delay in negotiations will give the Friends of Labor group time to target shoppers at other members of the West Coast Waterfront Coalition, such as Wal-Mart Stores and Target Stores.

Negotiators had been making progress in recent weeks. The union submitted a contract offer that would end the costly requirement that ILWU marine clerks re-key documentation filed electronically to container terminals. Establishing a free flow of information to container terminals and within the terminals is a key demand of waterfront employers.

The PMA rejected the union's proposal because it also included a provision to set strict manning requirements for certain work at the terminals. However, employers viewed the union's proposal as a first step toward a settlement.

Likewise, the PMA had submitted a contract proposal that Miniace said maintains full pension and welfare benefits for union members, a key demand of the ILWU. The union rejected that proposal, saying the employers' plan would increase out-of-pocket costs by millions of dollars a year.

Nevertheless, the fact that each side had submitted proposals addressing the major contract issues was viewed as a breakthrough in negotiations. For the first two months of talks, the only topic discussed was the benefits package.

"I urge the union, in the strongest possible terms, when it does belatedly return to the negotiating table, to work to bring our negotiations to a swift conclusion," Miniace said.

The ILWU was not immediately available for comment. However, its Web site carried a statement announcing the strike authorization move.

By Bill Mongelluzzo