Update on West Coast Port/Strike
As of today, the ILWU and PMA are still in negotiations for their new labor agreement to replace the existing agreement expiring on June 30. The negotiations cover all US West Coast ports (including Los Angeles, Long Beach, Oakland, Portland, Seattle, Tacoma) but not those in Canada or along the US East/Gulf Coasts. Although some form of slowdown or labor action is expected, upon the opening of negotiations, the PMA and ILWU issued a joint statement that said “both sides said they expect cargo to keep moving until an agreement is reached.” The negotiating parties remain optimistic that cargo will not be affected but US Exporters and Importers seem wary of this optimism and are looking at alternative options.
Whether an agreement is reached before the deadline or not is yet to be determined but at this point, what we know is that negotiations are still taking place, but also that the threat of West Coast operations slowing down or halting is a very real possibility.
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Please do not hesitate to contact us at superior@supfrt.com or call 800.298.4305 if you any questions or concerns regarding the potential strike or slowdown.
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