October man-hours paid in LA-Long Beach skyrocket

Man-hours paid to longshoremen in Los Angeles-Long Beach in October went through the roof because of the worst congestion the ports have experienced in more than a decade. Yet employers emphasize that even though more longshoremen are working more hours, congestion continues to increase because there are not enough skilled equipment operators being dispatched from the International Longshore and Warehouse Union hall each shift.

The ILWU adamantly denies that the union is contributing to congestion at the largest U.S. port complex. In a statement on Monday, the ILWU said the Pacific Maritime Association “deceptively blames workers for port congestion caused by chassis mismanagement and other supply chain disruptions.”