Posts tagged cargo
West Coast port dispute poses latest threat to supply chain
July 1, 2022 // The tenuous West Coast port contract negotiations, which began in May, have centered around wages, worker safety and automation. The union has pointed to ocean carriers’ record-smashing profits during the pandemic, while shippers have insisted that port workers enjoy competitive salaries that average six figures. The ILWU has pushed back on shipping companies’ push to automate port systems over the threat of job losses, while shippers claim that U.S. ports must be modernized to boost efficiency. Jess Dankert, Jay Timmons,
Already strained supply chain at risk in ongoing port labor talks
June 22, 2022 // Both Tirschwell and Larian point out that it wouldn't take a strike or a management lockout to slow or stop the flow of cargo. In the past, union members have slowed cargo simply by following strictly the terms of their existing contact, rather than trying to work most effectively. "Maybe they won't go on strike, but they can slow down everything," said Larian, the toymaker CEO. "A strike is very unlikely. A lockout is very unlikely," said Tirschwell. "But there's a definite possibility of an industrial action that disrupts the flow of cargo. That's what happened for six months in 2014 and 2015." Jim McKenna, Isaac Larian, Peter Tirschwell,
What West Coast ports’ labor negotiations mean for your packages
May 27, 2022 // The employers’ right to automate their operations has become a prominent issue in the contract. The 2002 deal introduced new technologies such as scanners and character-recognition technology, while the 2008 pact explicitly authorized automation. Last year, Total Terminals International LLC announced its intention to fully automate its Long Beach operations, a project the ILWU strongly opposed. This would make it San Pedro Bay’s fourth terminal with some automation out of the port complex’s 14 hubs.
Labor Unions (Quietly) Admit the Jones Act Is Contributing to America’s Supply Chain Problems
April 21, 2022 // The AFL-CIO appears to recognize that the Jones Act is part of the US supply chain problem.