Retailers are pressing on the Biden administration to act as a mediator in the extended West Coast dockworkers contract negotiations following a weekend of terminal disruptions in Los Angeles, Long Beach, and other ports.
“As we enter the peak shipping season for the holidays, these additional disruptions will force retailers and other important shipping partners to continue to shift cargo away from the West Coast ports until a new labor contract is established,” National Retail Federation Senior Vice President of Government Relations David French said in a statement Monday. “It is imperative that the parties return to the negotiating table. We urge the administration to mediate to ensure the parties quickly finalize a new contract without additional disruptions.”
The American Apparel & Footwear Association called for similar intervention by the Biden administration to avoid any further disruptions to port operations.
“Labor negotiations between the International Longshore and Warehouse Union and the Pacific Maritime Association have dragged on for more than 11 months since the last agreement expired,” AAFA President and CEO Steve Lamar said in a statement. “Despite alignment on some elements of the contracts, there appears to be stalled progress towards a new long-term agreement. Any port closure creates backups that immediately impact the delivery of goods to stores and warehouses, which will adversely impact American consumers, workers, and businesses.”
Total Terminals International at the Port of Long Beach remained closed Monday, according to its posted gate schedule.
That follows the worker disruptions the Pacific Maritime Association said began Friday. The PMA represents employers in the contract negotiations affecting more than 22,000 workers along the U.S. West Coast.
“…The ILWU is staging concerted and disruptive work actions that have effectively shut down operations at some marine terminals at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach,” the PMA said Friday. “The union is staging similar work actions that have shut down or severely impacted terminal operations at the ports of Oakland, Tacoma, Seattle, and Hueneme.”
Disruptions have hit some of the West Coast ports more recently.
A local chapter of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union withheld labor in April at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, causing terminal closures.
The ILWU said in response to the latest disruptions that it continues to negotiate with the PMA.
“Any reports that negotiations have broken down are false,” ILWU President Willie Adams said Friday. “We are getting there, but it’s important to understand that West Coast dockworkers kept the economy going during the pandemic and lost their lives doing so. We aren’t going to settle for an economic package that doesn’t recognize the heroic efforts and personal sacrifices of the ILWU workforce that lifted the shipping industry to record profits.”
Both sides began negotiations last May, with the previous contract having expired July 1, 2022.
Retailers, meanwhile, remain concerned as the industry inches closer to the holidays.
“The United States ports, particularly those on the West Coast, play a critical role in the vitality of the American economy,” French said. “Thousands of retailers and other businesses depend on smooth and efficient operations at the ports to deliver goods to consumers every day.”
Kari Hamanaka can be reached at kari@shop-eat-surf-outdoor.com.
Editor’s Note: This story was updated to include a comment from the American Apparel & Footwear Association.
