Posted by Averitt Express on Feb 23, 2015 11:00:00 AM
Just as the media seemed poised to run headlines decrying the complete shutdown of operations at West Coast ports, the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA) and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) announced this past Friday evening that a tentative agreement had been reached.
“After more than nine months of negotiations, we are pleased to have reached an agreement that is good for workers for the industry,” said PMA president James McKenna and ILWU president Bob McEllrath in a joint statement. “We are also pleased that our ports can now resume full operations.”
The months-long labor dispute at 29 West Coast ports created a massive backlog of cargo that has disrupted the flow of freight across the entire country. The congestion had forced container ships to anchor at bay for weeks at a time before being unloaded and had also caused critical slowdowns in intermodal and truck transportation services. Delivery times had moved from an average of 20 to 30 days to as much as 90 days since the beginning of the crisis last July.
Read more at averittexpress.com