The International Longshore and Warehouse Union and the Pacific Maritime Association are taking a 72-hour break from negotiations on a new labor contract for West Coast ports, they said in a joint release issued July 7. The hiatus will allow the ILWU to divert its attention to an unrelated negotiation in the Pacific Northwest, said the statement. During the break, from 8 a.m. on July 8 through 8 a.m. on Friday, July 11, the ILWU and the PMA are extending the previous six-year contract, which expired July 1, they said.
Dockworkers at 29 West Coast ports will continue to move cargo at normal operating capacity, despite the July 1 expiration of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) contract with the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA), said the two organizations in a joint statement. “Both sides understand the strategic importance of the ports to the local, regional and US economies, and are mindful of the need to finalize a new coast-wide contract as soon as possible to ensure continuing confidence in the West Coast ports and avoid any disruption to the jobs and commerce they support,” said the July 1 statement. ILWU and port officials have recently dismissed speculation that the contract dispute would fuel port shutdowns and cargo diversions (see 14070128).
Truck drivers from the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach are going on a 48-hour strike starting April 28 to protest low wages and their status as independent contractors. According to a report from the Orange County Register (here), the strike is currently limited to four drayage companies at the ports: Green Fleet Systems, American Logistics International, Pacific 9 Transportation, and Total Transportation Services. A spokesman for the Port of L.A. told us that, as of 8:30 a.m. PDT, port operations at L.A. were unaffected. A Port of Long Beach spokesman told us picketers are present at one container terminal as of 8:45 a.m. PDT -- the Long Beach Container Terminal -- but it’s still early in the day, and the impact on port operations is still being evaluated.
The International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) and the Pacific Maritime Association should begin contract negotiations now in order to keep cargo flowing through West Coast ports, said National Retail Federation (NRF) President Matthew Shay in an April 14 letter to the two parties. The ILWU contract at the 29 containerized ports in California, Oregon and Washington that make up the Pacific Maritime Association expires on June 30.
The Coast Guard began allowing ships to move through the safety zones March 25 within the Houston ship channel, said the Port of Houston Authority in an update on the oil spill that closed the channel since March 22 (see 14032514). "Deep draft vessels are currently moving outbound from Houston" and inbound vessel movements were expected soon, said the port authority early in the evening of March 25.
The Federal Maritime Commission gave its approval to the P3 Network Vessel Sharing Agreement, the agency said in a press release. The proposed alliance would align the three largest container carriers: Maersk Line, CMA-CGM, and Mediterranean Shipping Company. Commissioner Richard Lidinsky dissented from the other commissioners on the agreement, which will become effective March 24, it said. The approval was based on "a determination that the agreement is not likely at this time, by a reduction in competition, to produce an unreasonable increase in transportation cost or an unreasonable reduction in transportation service," it said. The deal will be good for consumers because "the new reporting requirements specifically tailored to this agreement’s unique authority will ensure we have timely and relevant information to act quickly should it be necessary," said Chairman Mario Cordero in the statement.
The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2014 puts into law many federal programs that are critical to the “safe, efficient and competitive operation” of U.S. seaports, the American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) said in a Jan. 17 press release. In the legislation, lawmakers prioritized trade through the inclusion of Department of Transportation Infrastructure Generating Economic Recovery discretionary grants, U.S. Corps of Engineers’ navigation-related programs, Federal Emergency Management Agency state and local programs grants that include port security funds for port security, Environment Protection Agency Diesel Emissions Reduction Act grants, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration subprograms that aid navigation, among other programs, AAPA said.
After an 18-month, $12.4 million reconstruction project, the heavy lift cargo berth at the Port of Jacksonville's Blount Island Marine Terminal has more than doubled its pounds-per-square-foot capability to 1,800 and increased its pounds-per-axle rating, or kips, to 78, it said. Jaxport said it now ranks as one of the nation’s highest weight bearing capacity docks.
La Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec said it bought 26.7% ownership of the Port of Brisbane in Australia's Queensland. The transaction follows a bidding process launched earlier this year for the interest held by Global Infrastructure Partners, it said. The Port of Brisbane, privatized in 2010, is the country's third-largest container port.
Ports of Stockholm has begun work on renewing the Port of Kapellskär. When completed in 2016, the port will have five quay-berths, it said. Half of all freight traveling to or from Finland, Estonia and Åland passes through Kapellskär. The work includes dredging the harbor basin, adding a quay-berth and making another fully functional and extending the length of the quay-berths. The cost is expected to be more than SEK 700 million.