Labor dispute snarls operations at West Coast ports

A protracted labor dispute is disrupting operations at several key ports on the West Coast, prompting major retail and manufacturing groups to call on the White House to help broker a deal.

Members of a dockworkers union have engaged in “concerted and disruptive work actions” for several days, causing slowdowns in the California cities of Los Angeles, Long Beach and Oakland, along with Seattle, according to the Pacific Maritime Association, which bargains on behalf of the port operators.

“Union leaders are implementing many familiar disruption tactics from their job action playbook, including refusing to dispatch workers to marine terminals, slowing operations, and making unfounded health and safety claims,” according to a statement the association posted late Monday on Twitter.

More than 22,000 dockworkers at 29 ports along the West Coast have been working without a contract since July. Issues tied to automation and pay remain key sticking points.

A representative for the Port of Oakland – which had been shuttered Friday – said it was open for business Monday at all four of its marine terminals. A representative for International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 91, which represents the dockworkers at the Oakland Port, referred reporters to the international union Monday.

Willie Adams, the union’s international president, said Friday that negotiations have not broken down.

“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,” Adams wrote.

The ports covered by the labor agreement are some of the largest in the United States. In particular, the ports at Los Angeles, Long Beach and Oakland are crucial supply chain arteries for numerous industries.

Business groups have complained that problems at the ports could hurt commerce across the country and threaten jobs, with two major trade associations ― the National Retail Federation and the National Association of Manufacturers ― imploring the White House to help broker a deal.

Citing an industry-backed analysis, NAM President and CEO Jay Timmons said “even a temporary shutdown at the West Coast’s busiest ports will result in massive economic loss and endanger thousands of manufacturing jobs.”