Professor William Gould comments on ongoing negotiations regarding west coast port laborers for the San Jose Mercury News.  

West Coast ports labor negotiations resumed Friday as negotiators raced to reach an agreement before the end of the day or else continue negotiations in Washington D.C. next week.

A source familiar with the matter said that the two sides had begun exchanging complete proposals rather than focusing on any single issue. The Pacific Maritime Association, representing employers, and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union, have been in intense negotiations since Tuesday following the arrival of Labor Secretary Tom Perez, who told mayors of port cities Thursday that if a deal wasn't reached Friday, negotiations would continue in Washington D.C.

William Gould, a Stanford law professor, said Perez has no legal authority to order the two sides back to Washington. “The only authority he has is the court of public opinion. I'm sure they will come back to Washington if he says the he wants them to.”