Fearing a Gulf and East Coast port strike in advance of the holiday shopping season, three apparel industry groups have joined the chorus of calls for shippers and longshoremen to end their public posturing and resume labor negotiations before their current contract expires on Sept. 30.
“Retailers and importers are already considering contingency plans that will take their products through more reliable ports, including those in Canada, or through entirely different transportation media altogether,” the three groups wrote in a letter dated Sept. 4 to the United States Maritime Alliance and the International Longshoremen’s Association.