West Coast Ports Suspend Weekend Hours

The Pacific Maritime Association (PMA) announced today that weekend vessel loading and unloading operations will be temporarily suspended this weekend, with yard, rail and gate operations continuing at terminal operators’ discretion. In light of what the PMA alleges are “ongoing union slowdowns” up and down the coast which have brought the ports almost to a standstill.

Spokesmen said PMA member companies finally have concluded that they will no longer continue to “pay workers premium pay” for diminished productivity.

“After three months of union slowdowns, it makes no sense to pay extra for less work,” said PMA spokesman Wade Gates, “especially if there is no end in sight to the union’s actions which needlessly brought West Coast ports to the brink of gridlock.”

Vessel operations are scheduled to resume Monday, February 9. Yard operations – that is, moving processed containers for truck and rail delivery to customers – will continue at terminal operators’ discretion, although the ILWU continues to limit operations by withholding the needed crane operators or operating slowly.

Earlier in the day, the ILWU issued a press release accusing the PMA of distorting the congestion issues, by blaming dockside labor for the vessel back up.