February 9, 2015 — America’ s busiest ports, the Los Angeles and Long Beach docks, along with 27 others were shut down over the weekend due to heated labor negotiations among terminal operators, ship owners, and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union. The operations are to be resumed on Monday, according to the Pacific Maritime Association.
The Pacific Maritime Association is the group that represents terminal operators and shipping companies in the labor contract negotiations with the labor union. The negotiations are the result of months of congestion in the Long Beach ports and 27 more West Coast ports.
The Los Angeles and Long Beach ports are the nation’s busiest ports since 40 percent of cargo containers with imported goods come into the U.S. via those two. But the continuous congestions may lead to a permanent shut down of the ports, seriously endangering the economic relationship with China, and shaking the local economy.
Operators and ship owners blame the unproductive labor force on the docks for the delays. So they don’t want to pay anymore the premium weekend pay for the dock workers.
Read the full story at the Utah People's Post