The Pacific Maritime Association (PMA) is a non-profit mutual benefit corporation that functions as a multi-employer collective bargaining agent for shipping lines, stevedore companies, and marine terminal operators. Founded in 1949, PMA negotiates and administers labor contracts and payroll on behalf of its approximately 75 member companies across the maritime sector.
PMA operates along the West Coast of the United States, with a geographic footprint spanning the ports of California, Oregon, and Washington. The association's work sits at the intersection of maritime shipping, port operations, stevedoring, and labor relations, supporting millions of U.S. jobs tied to the West Coast port system.
As a mutual benefit corporation, PMA represents the interests of its employer members in collective bargaining processes, providing a unified management-side voice in labor negotiations. Its role in administering contracts and payroll makes it a central administrative body for the longshore and maritime workforce across its member terminals.
