Excerpts from the Journal of Commerce:
Congestion continues to plague Los Angeles-Long Beach despite efforts by terminal operators to remain open longer and use all longshore labor at their disposal.
“They’re showing up to work,” said Jim McKenna, president of the Pacific Maritime Association, the employers’ organization that negotiates and administers the International Longshore and Warehouse Union contract at West Coast ports. However, the added labor requirements caused by port congestion are exhausting the labor supply, he said.
Meanwhile, PierPass reports that the majority of the terminals are hiring extra labor to keep their gates open to truckers during the lunch hours and during shift changes to provide seamless gates from early morning until late into the night.
Nevertheless, the persistent congestion problem shows no signs of dissipating. “It’s gotten worse,” said Alex Cherin, executive director of the Harbor Trucking Association. “The frustration (among drayage companies) continues to rise.”