News
The International Longshore Union (ILWU) initiates orchestrated slowdowns at the Pacific Northwest (PNW) ports of Seattle and Tacoma, severely impacting many of the largest terminals during the peak holiday shipping season, the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA) said in a statement on Monday. The two ports handle an estimated 16% of containerized cargo on the U.S. West Coast.
''The PMA has found that the slowdowns at these Pacific Northwest ports have resulted in terminal productivity being reduced by an average of 40 to 60%. For example, terminals that typically move 25 – 35 containers per hour were moving only 10 – 18,'' the statement added.
The ILWU immediately countered that the statement dishonestly accuses the ILWU of breaking a supposed agreement that normal operations at West Coast ports would continue until an agreement could be reached. ''This is a bold-faced lie. No such agreement was ever made, nor could it be made given the parties' historic disagreement regarding the definition of ''normal operations'' – a disagreement that has been the subject of arbitrations for decades. PMA also falsely states that agreement to temporary contract extensions is standard practice.''
