Workers have gone nearly a year without a contract, and some ports experience shutdowns.
President Joe Biden is committed to respecting the negotiation process between West Coast port operators and dock worker labor unions. The bargaining has taken place for a year with little progress. Since July 2022, tens of thousands of dock workers have been working without a contract since July 2022.
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre stated, “I can say that the President respects the collective bargaining process as the best way to hold workers and employers to reach mutually beneficial solutions.” She said, “Acting [Labor] Secretary [Julie] Su and others in the administration are regularly engaging with the parties, encouraging them to stay at the negotiating table and finish their work.”
The port labor disputes are having an impact on commercial shipping, which could create disruptions to the nation’s supply chain that would result in shortages or higher prices.
Representative Val Hoyle of Oregon, a member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, said, “The shippers I know are afraid of what might happen if we shut down our ports. People are concerned.”
Significant work delays have occurred at the ports of Los Angeles, Long Beach, and Seattle. Wait times in Seattle are now more than a week. The Oakland, California, port was shut down over the weekend. Meanwhile, ships containing imports are beginning to stack up outside the ports awaiting their time to offload.
As the Lord Leads, Pray with Us…
- For acting Labor Secretary Su as she endeavors to facilitate the bargaining process.
- For the president and administration officials as they encourage an agreement between unions and ports.
Sources: The Hill, Reuters, Bloomberg
