LOS ANGELES — The backlog of vessels at West Coast ports grew Monday as ships worked over the weekend were immediately replaced by one or two more vessels arriving from Asia.

Meanwhile, the Pacific Maritime Association was still considering filing a formal complaint with the U.S. Department of Justice about alleged slowdowns by the International Longshore and Warehouse Union, but had not done so by mid-day Monday local time.

"We're coordinating our efforts with the Department of Justice. That's all I can say right now," said PMA spokesman John Pachtner.

According to the Marine Exchange of Los Angeles-Long Beach, 117 vessels were at berth or waiting at anchorage Monday at the nation's busiest port complex, and that number had climbed as high as 121 during the weekend.

The Marine Exchange updates its Master Queuing List every 15 minutes, giving the position of each vessel in the harbor, and shippers can access vessel information at www.marexlalb.org.

Truckers report continued congestion at West Coast harbors, particularly inside marine terminals, where drivers are forced to wait while crews search through stacks of containers to retrieve specific boxes. Some terminal areas have been ruled off-limits to truckers for safety reasons.

Waterfront employers charge that longshoremen are compounding the problem by showing up late to their jobs, killing time at terminal gates and moving slower than usual throughout the facilities. The ILWU has denied the charges, and blamed the congestion on management's 10-day lock-out of dockworkers.

Rail carriers serving West Coast ports report that their operations have remained fluid since the ports were re-opened almost two weeks ago. The Union Pacific and Burlington Northern Santa Fe have allocated slots to shippers to manage the flow of containers. BNSF said that over the weekend it moved 1,500 containers a day eastbound from the West Coast, and on Monday was preparing to ramp up to 3,000 units.

The UP reported that bookings for its Intermodal Container Transfer Facility in Los Angeles-Long Beach were heavy, but that cargo was moving at normal speed.

The PMA last week said it was gathering evidence that proved longshoremen were intentionally slowing down cargo movements at West Coast ports, and would present the information to the Department of Justice late Friday. However, it did not do so, although PMA President Joseph Miniace said he asked the union to cease the slowdowns and return to the bargaining table.

The ILWU and PMA are operating under a federal injunction obtained by the Bush administration that prohibits lock-outs, strikes and work slowdowns. The cooling-off period will last 80 days through Dec. 27 under the Taft-Hartley Act.

ILWU spokesman Steve Stallone said Miniace never called the union about alleged slowdowns, and denied that employers have evidence of slowdowns.

Both parties are scheduled to return to the bargaining table Thursday under the guidance of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service. Mediators were slated to tour waterfront terminals beginning Monday to see first-hand how container terminals operate.

The ILWU has garnered official support for its cause from the AFL-CIO, but has alienated some fellow unions as it seeks to solidify its jurisdiction on the waterfront. The presidents of four unions - the International Association of Machinists, the International Association of Bridge, Structural Ornamental and Reinforcing Iron Workers, the International Union of Operating Engineers and the Seafarers International Union - charge that the contract proposal made by the ILWU claims jurisdiction over some of their jobs.

"The ILWU has proffered changes in the ILWU/PMA agreement which attempts to usurp and thwart the legitimate jurisdiction of the IAM, IUOE, Iron Workers and SIU," the unions stated in an open letter to their collective membership.

Stallone said the ILWU can not respond to general allegations that include no specific details.

By Bill Mongelluzzo