Ports of Los Angeles, Long Beach congestion worsens, labor talks escalate
Source: LA Daily News
By Karen Robes Meeks
As he drove from terminal after terminal at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, Dick Schroeder pointed to the winding lines of trucks that often stretched for miles as drivers wait more than five hours to receive one cargo container.
Schroeder, who runs Ohana Transportation in Wilmington, once sent eight trucks to retrieve cargo and all returned empty-handed six or seven hours later. Work slowdowns are to blame for the congestion, which he says has become progressively worse in the last few weeks.
“They’re still working without a contract,” Schroeder said of the longshore workers, whose agreement expired in July. “I’ve been here over 50 years doing this and I’ve been through four or five strikes down here. I’ve never seen anything this bad.”
After months of promises to keep cargo flow moving amid negotiations, talks between the union representing about 13,000 West Coast longshore workers and the association representing their employers have escalated this week with accusations of work slowdowns up and down the West Coast ports.
FULL story at link.
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In this file photo, truck drivers wait for the California United Terminal to open at the Port of Long Beach. File photo
Read more: http://www.dailynews.com/business/20141108/ports-of-los-angeles-long-beach-congestion-worsens-labor-talks-escalate
Snip: The four affected ports — Los Angeles, Long Beach, Seattle and Tacoma — handle nearly 80 percent of containerized cargo on the West Coast.
My two new Atmos home theater speakers have been held up. I'll take it in support of labor!!!!
OS
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