The longshore workers' union voted on March 22 to reject the employers' offer, but said it did not intend to submit a strike notice.

The union representing 1,125 longshoremen and the employer concluded a seven-month truce last August after a 10-day strike that expires March 20.

There have been eight deaths reported since early June, and examinations of five of the carcasses showed three of them had injuries consistent with ship strikes - a leading cause of death for these rare mammals.