LOS ANGELES — Longshoremen in Southern California slowed operations at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach to a crawl Thursday because of an employer decision to reduce the number of crane workers. The slowdowns are occurring only in Los Angeles-Long Beach.

Chuck Wallace, vice president in Southern California for the Pacific Maritime Association, confirmed that slowdowns were in progress at a number of terminals. The employers association will seek relief through the grievance process under the PMA -International Longshore and Warehouse Union contract, Wallace said.

Terminal operators in the nation's largest port complex this week began a policy of reducing from five to four the number of "swingmen" or "front men" assigned to each crane. Those workers lock and unlock the cones that secure containers to yard tractors for safe movement in the terminals.

Employers say there is no provision in the contract that requires them to assign five workers per crane. In fact, ILWU workers for years have manned those jobs on a four-hours-on, four-hours-off basis. One and sometimes two of the workers go home, so there are almost never more than four longshoremen working under each crane at any one time, employers said.

Employers determined that since they have a new contract that is intended to improve productivity and reduce costs in return for increasing ILWU pay and pension benefits, the time has come to realize some of those benefits.

They note that Los Angeles-Long Beach is the only port on the West Coast, and possibly in the nation, where five longshoremen work under each crane. Employers can save thousands of dollars per year by reducing the number of workers per crane as there are more than 100 cranes in Los Angeles-Long Beach. According to the PMA annual report, full-time longshoremen last year earned an average $107,781 each.

The ILWU responded that assigning five longshoremen per crane is intended to increase productivity. "They're cutting manning, and they wonder why there is a drop in productivity," said ILWU spokesman Steve Stallone.

Stallone said some terminals in other ports, such as Seattle, also assign five longshoremen per crane. The determining factor is the type of yard tractors used at the terminal, he said. "That whole thing about it happening only in L.A. is just wrong," Stallone said.

Terminals are reporting their drop in productivity to the PMA. One terminal operator said his facility normally averages 1,500 moves per shift, but over the past three shifts it averaged only 900 moves.

One terminal brought its case involving manning requirements to the local arbitrator on Wednesday, and the arbitrator in Southern California ruled against the employer. Other terminals are expected to take their cases to arbitration today, focusing on the issue of slowdowns.

Slowdowns are especially damaging at this time of year because the ports are entering the peak shipping season when ships are full and equipment availability is tight.

By Bill Mongelluzzo