Industry Takes as West Coast Operations Resume

The state of West Coast labor contract negotiations between the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) and Pacific Maritime Association (PMA) returned to the spotlight following work disruptions on April 6th and 7th that were labeled illegal by the PMA. As talks between the two parties approach their one-year anniversary, CH Powell Company’s Los Angeles Office Manager, Dan Monnier, reports that while the tension is tangible, terminals are back to normal operations. Port of Los Angeles Executive Director, Gene Seroka, called the labor disruption a “wake up call” to get a new agreement in place to stem shippers’ ongoing diversion of cargo to East and Gulf Coast ports. The practical implication of this structural trend was somewhat validated though, as the operational impact was more an “inconvenience than a severe disruption.”