Their counterparts in Oregon and California
This comes six months into negotiations between the Pacific Maritime Association and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union on a new six-year labor contract for workers at West Coast ports. Talks started in May ahead of the previous contract expiring in July.
Washington’s U.S. Sens. Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell joined their counterparts in Oregon and California to urge both sides to come to an agreement. Washington Gov. Jay Inslee has as well. Last week, a coalition of about 100 retailers, manufacturers and farmers requested President Obama to send in a federal arbitrator, and to prevent a complete shutdown.
The state and national economies depend heavily on moving goods into and out of ports. In Washington, about 40 percent of jobs in the state are trade-related, while West Coast ports contribute $2.1 trillion annually to the nation’s economy, according to the Pacific Maritime Association.
Both the ports of Seattle and Tacoma have lost market share in the past several years to ports in California, Canada and Mexico. They recently formed an alliance to become more competitive on a national and international scale. Keeping goods’ movement as efficient as possible should be a top priority for the union and employers. Customers will take notice and make different business decisions, some far-reaching that could permanently send more traffic through competing ports.
The current slowdown could cost millions in lost revenue for producers, retailers and workers along other parts of the supply chain. A shutdown — like the one employers imposed on longshore workers in 2002 — could cost billions worth of economic activity per day, according to the National Retail Federation.