Amid pleas of major shippers for a federal mediator, President Obama says he’s confident U.S. West Coast longshoremen and waterfront employers can reach a labor contract.A statement from the White House expresses confidence in the ability for both sides to reach an agreement.
The White House statement further reflects the rut the labor and congestion situation at West Coast ports has ground into. Cargo is moving, albeit at a much slower pace than usual, and ILWU work slowdowns aren’t severe enough for the ILWU and PMA to request federal action.
“Just last year, there was a long negotiation at the East and Gulf Coast ports,” White House spokesman Frank Benenati told Bloomberg in an e-mail. “And just as the two sides in that case were able to resolve their differences through the time-tested process of collective bargaining, we’re confident that management and labor at the West Coast ports can do the same.”
