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TERMINALS at US west coast ports are continuing to experience "no shows" and staff shortages as a pressure tactic in current contract talks between the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA) and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU), reports Fort Lauderdale's Maritime Executive.
CNBC business channel is reporting that some terminals are advising truckers and shippers that they will be closed again, while the union and port officials continue to say operations are continuing.
CNBC says it obtained a copy of an email sent by Total Terminal International advising truckers that it was cancelling appointments for both ships at their terminals in Long Beach and Seattle. In addition, CNBC is reporting that union members have continued not to show up for work at the Port of Oakland.
It will be the fourth day of disruptions in the operations since ILWU members began not showing up for work. No one is officially saying they are on strike.
Said Port of Long Beach executive director Mario Cordero: "All container terminals at the Port of Long Beach remain open. As we monitor terminal activity, we urge the PMA and ILWU to continue negotiating in good faith toward a fair agreement."
The PMA said the union was "staging concerted and disruptive work actions," impacting terminals ranging from the ports of Los Angeles, Long Beach, and Hueneme in southern California as well as moving north along the coast at Oakland, Tacoma and Seattle.
ILWU Local 13, which covers the southern California ports, said in its statement, "cargo operations in the ports continue as longshore workers remain on the job," while saying it was fighting for respect from the foreign-owned ocean carriers and terminal operators.
Union headquarters in its statement denied claims that the contract negotiations had broken down. "We are getting there," while saying "we aren't going to settle for an economic package that doesn¡¯t recognise the heroic efforts and personal sacrifices of the ILWU workforce that lifted the shipping industry to record profits."
The Marine Exchange said "vessel traffic is still moving per schedules and no schedules have slipped," while citing the media reports of terminals closing in the ports as well as at Hueneme and Oakland.
Some 72 vessels have registered with the management system as either being en route to the ports of Los Angeles, Long Beach or Oakland or scheduled to begin their voyage within 24 hours.
The number of vessels bound for the southern California ports is 61, 10 more than the prior week, with the Marine Exchange saying it would revert to its voluntary queuing system if a backlog begins to build.
Vessels would be asked to remain at least 20 miles from the coast "until they are reasonably certain they have a berthing assignment within three days."
If there is a labour shortage, the Marine Exchange is saying labour would be assigned based on the vessel's calculated date/time of arrival on the Master Queuing List for the ports, allocating labour as was done during the 2021-2022 backup.
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