As the 5 p.m. PT contract deadline came and went on July 1, the Pacific Maritime Association and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union are still at the table trying to iron out their differences in order to avoid a costly labor stoppage at west coast ports, the Associated Press reported.
“Cargo will keep moving, and normal operations will continue at the ports until an agreement can be reached …,” the two groups said in a joint statement, according to the AP.
The news report also said that no resolution is expected for weeks, as thorny issues like worker contribution to rising health care costs are still being worked out.
Retailers and operations-fulfillment experts told MCM on June 27 that the effects of a West Coast dock workers strike – affecting ocean freight operations from San Diego to Bellingham, Wash. – would be far-reaching and costly. A joint study by the National Retail Federation and the National Association of Manufacturers estimated a strike could cost the U.S. economy up to $2.5 billion per day. Trade groups said a 2012 stoppage cost an estimated $1 billion per day.
You can read the full article here.