Port Normal
The long lines are gone at the West Coast ports and turn times have returned to normal, according to port officials. There had been a backlog of merchandise waiting to be received following a nearly two-week shutdown when negotiations broke down between the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA), which represents shippers, and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU). But the return to normal turn times is, in part, due to fewer ships arriving, according to industry watchers, who say that typically the two Southern California ports receive about eight container ships each day. Currently, about three arrive daily in the two ports. The PMA and the ILWU have been negotiating since July 1, when the ILWU’s contract expired. Talks broke down in late September, and West Coast ports were closed until the president reopened the ports under the Taft-Hartley Act, which imposes an 80-day “cooling off” period. The two groups recently reached a tentative agreement over the introduction of labor-saving technology, but negotiators are still working on reaching agreements over pensions, wages and the union’s arbitration system.
