US West Coast congestion hits new high as ILWU, PMA lay blame on manning

Congestion at West Coast ports is the worst it has been since longshoremen began hard-timing employers in early November, and conditions are expected to worsen as terminal operators and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union use manning issues to see how much pain they can inflict on each other.

The strategies being deployed by the Pacific Maritime Association and the union are expected to continue even though both parties have agreed to negotiate their coastwide contract under the auspices of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service. Employers and the union are intensifying their efforts to punish each other despite the involvement of the federal mediator in the negotiations.

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