As with any negotiation, a measure of compromise must be made by both bargaining members. By now, it has become clear that only one side is willing give a little in the protracted struggle between U.S. West Coast port management and dockside labor.
News
The members lines of the Transpacific Stabilization Agreement recommended raising Asia-U.S. freight rates by at least $600 per-FEU starting Jan. 15 — a 26.6 percent increase over the current level.
A group of 166 trade associations is calling on President Obama to intervene in a labor fight that is threatening the flow of packages at ports along the West Coast.
The current contract between the union that represents West Coast port workers, the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) and Pacific Maritime Association (PMA), was supposed to expire in July, but negotiators have thus far been unable to agree to more than temporary extensions.
American Journal of Transportation
The Temporary Empty Container Depot on Pier S at the Port of Long Beach is scheduled to open Dec. 29. The depot was approved by the Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners in November to free up truck-trailer chassis and ease congestion on the docks at the second busiest seaport in North America.
The “good news story” of the season appears to be generated by officials at The Port of Oakland, who report that it has taken additional steps in an ongoing effort to manage a surge of inbound container vessel calls.
Harbor leaders will consider Monday three measures that could help give relief to truck drivers, shippers and other supply chain stakeholders feeling the pinch from bottlenecks at the Port of Long Beach.
American Trucking Associations
American Trucking Associations’advanced seasonally adjusted For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index jumped 3.5% in November, following an increase of 0.5% during the previous month. In November, the index equaled 136.8 (2000=100), which was the highest level on record.
In a 138-word notice posted on its website, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Thursday morning issued the official notice that the 34-hour restart rule in place since July 1, 2013, had been suspended per the action of Congress and the signature of President Barack Obama in passing the $1.1 trillion spending bill.
“The LEI rose sharply in October, with all components gaining over the previous six months,” said Ataman Ozyildirim, Economist at The Conference Board. “Despite a negative contribution from stock prices in October, and minimal contributions from new orders for consumer goods and average workweek in manufacturing, the LEI suggests the U.S. expansion continues to be strong.”