Retailers Welcome Ratification of Port Contract; Continue to Urge Change
23 May 2015 - 7:59AM
Business Wire
Stability Returns to the West Coast Ports as
Dockworkers Ratify Contract
The National Retail Federation today issued the following
statement from Vice President for Supply Chain and Customs Policy
Jonathan Gold on news that the International Longshore and
Warehouse Union has ratified a five-year labor contract with the
Pacific Maritime Association covering dockworkers at 29 West Coast
ports:
“At long last the year-long contract dispute between the ILWU
and PMA has come to an end. Shippers can rest a bit easier knowing
that the West Coast ports will be more stable over the next few
years. While we are happy to see the contract ratified it’s not
going to be long before we go through this process all over
again.
“The past year was fraught with disruptions, slowdowns and
partial shutdowns. This is something we will no longer tolerate.
The world is changing, and our ports must adapt to ensure they
provide shippers with the predictability and stability they need.
We can no longer accept last-minute negotiations and months and
months of talks while slowdowns and stoppages disrupt the global
supply chain and international trade.
“Negotiators need to begin their talks early enough to have an
agreement in place well before another contract expires without
active or passive threats to the economy and the millions of jobs
dependent on our nation’s ports and supply chain. The current
process is impractical and unsustainable and fails to meet even the
most basic requirements of a modern, global supply chain.
“A new process is needed for labor and management on both
coasts. Stakeholders cannot afford to go through this process every
couple of years. We need a new system in place that benefits all
parties and provides for the efficient transportation of the
nation’s cargo and commerce.”
NRF is the world’s largest retail trade association,
representing discount and department stores, home goods and
specialty stores, Main Street merchants, grocers, wholesalers,
chain restaurants and Internet retailers from the United States and
more than 45 countries. Retail is the nation’s largest private
sector employer, supporting one in four U.S. jobs – 42 million
working Americans. Contributing $2.6 trillion to annual GDP, retail
is a daily barometer for the nation’s economy. NRF’s This is Retail
campaign highlights the industry’s opportunities for life-long
careers, how retailers strengthen communities, and the critical
role that retail plays in driving innovation. www.nrf.com
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National Retail FederationStephen E. Schatz,
855-NRF-PRESSPRESS@NRF.com