March 9, 2015
By Deborah Belgum
In a sign of how bad the port congestion problem (click here) grew on the West Coast this January, East Coast ports ended up handling 45 percent of the cargo container traffic that entered the United States, up from 36 percent during the same month last year.
Normally, the West Coast ports would have handled about 64 percent of all container traffic in January, but that dipped to 55 percent.
“Importers and exporters are reviewing their supply chain plans for the future and not necessarily in favor of the West Coast, said Hackett Associates founder Ben Hackett, who prepares the monthly “Global Port Tracker” report for the National Retail Federation.
A crippling work slowdown on the West Coast was resolved when a tentative agreement was reached Feb. 20 between the International Longshore and Warehouse Union and the longshore workers’ employers, the Pacific Maritime Association—made up of shipping lines and port terminal operators. But some 20 cargo container ships are still stuck at anchor waiting for a berth to unload their merchandise at either the Port of Los Angeles or the Port of Long Beach....
The strike on the West Coast was held off for nine months by the laborers specifically to prevent any backlog of shipments. The labor union started long before the end of the contract to request contract negotiations. Don't blame the labor or the unions when companies don't negotiate in good faith to force a strike.
March 9, 2015
By J. Craig Shearman
WASHINGTON, March 9, 2015 – Import cargo volume (click here) at the nation’s major retail container ports is expected to rise an unusually high 16.9 percent this month over the same time last year as West Coast ports begin to dig out from a backlog of cargo that built up during just-concluded contract negotiations with dockworkers, according to the monthly Global Port Tracker report released today by the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates.
“The contract talks are over, but the tentative agreement still has to be ratified and it’s going to take months to get back to normal on the West Coast,” NRF Vice President for Supply Chain and Customs Policy Jonathan Gold said. “Retailers’ immediate priority is to make sure spring merchandise reaches store shelves in time. Going forward, we want labor, management and Washington to work together to see that we never again have a situation like what we went through these past several months.”...
The backlog exists and the reason is because the contract the workers sign to was refused by the dock's administration. These unions are vital to the dock workers, both for pay and benefits including life insurance, because these jobs are very dangerous. There is a great deal of risk in working on the docks. The unions are necessary to maintain high safety standards to prevent injuries and death.
This is the 2013 listing of deaths according to OSHA. (click here)
Work related deaths occur and dock workers are among the most dangerous. There is only one thing standing in the way of dangerous work and companies allowing unsafe conditions and that is the unions. The government can't always be counted on to inspect facilities on a regular basis. We have witnessed OSHA at nearly a parallelized ability to protect workers from danger at work. So, the unions are vital. The companies should be saying thank you for the demands within a contract that maintains docks working and safe. When workers are safe the work can move along without interruption. If companies want to get more for their money they need to maintain safe working conditions.
By Deborah Belgum
In a sign of how bad the port congestion problem (click here) grew on the West Coast this January, East Coast ports ended up handling 45 percent of the cargo container traffic that entered the United States, up from 36 percent during the same month last year.
Normally, the West Coast ports would have handled about 64 percent of all container traffic in January, but that dipped to 55 percent.
“Importers and exporters are reviewing their supply chain plans for the future and not necessarily in favor of the West Coast, said Hackett Associates founder Ben Hackett, who prepares the monthly “Global Port Tracker” report for the National Retail Federation.
A crippling work slowdown on the West Coast was resolved when a tentative agreement was reached Feb. 20 between the International Longshore and Warehouse Union and the longshore workers’ employers, the Pacific Maritime Association—made up of shipping lines and port terminal operators. But some 20 cargo container ships are still stuck at anchor waiting for a berth to unload their merchandise at either the Port of Los Angeles or the Port of Long Beach....
The strike on the West Coast was held off for nine months by the laborers specifically to prevent any backlog of shipments. The labor union started long before the end of the contract to request contract negotiations. Don't blame the labor or the unions when companies don't negotiate in good faith to force a strike.
March 9, 2015
By J. Craig Shearman
WASHINGTON, March 9, 2015 – Import cargo volume (click here) at the nation’s major retail container ports is expected to rise an unusually high 16.9 percent this month over the same time last year as West Coast ports begin to dig out from a backlog of cargo that built up during just-concluded contract negotiations with dockworkers, according to the monthly Global Port Tracker report released today by the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates.
“The contract talks are over, but the tentative agreement still has to be ratified and it’s going to take months to get back to normal on the West Coast,” NRF Vice President for Supply Chain and Customs Policy Jonathan Gold said. “Retailers’ immediate priority is to make sure spring merchandise reaches store shelves in time. Going forward, we want labor, management and Washington to work together to see that we never again have a situation like what we went through these past several months.”...
The backlog exists and the reason is because the contract the workers sign to was refused by the dock's administration. These unions are vital to the dock workers, both for pay and benefits including life insurance, because these jobs are very dangerous. There is a great deal of risk in working on the docks. The unions are necessary to maintain high safety standards to prevent injuries and death.
This is the 2013 listing of deaths according to OSHA. (click here)
Work related deaths occur and dock workers are among the most dangerous. There is only one thing standing in the way of dangerous work and companies allowing unsafe conditions and that is the unions. The government can't always be counted on to inspect facilities on a regular basis. We have witnessed OSHA at nearly a parallelized ability to protect workers from danger at work. So, the unions are vital. The companies should be saying thank you for the demands within a contract that maintains docks working and safe. When workers are safe the work can move along without interruption. If companies want to get more for their money they need to maintain safe working conditions.
