10 October 2002
USA Faced with a judge's order to reopen West Coast ports, longshoremen and shipping companies now confront the mammoth task of heaving billions of dollars worth of idle cargo - from auto parts to bananas - back into the nation's economy.
Signs suggest the transition back to work won't be smooth. Workers may need as long as two and a half months to clear the backlog of goods caused by the 10-day lockout at 29 major Pacific ports. The labor dispute prompted President George W. Bush to intervene Tuesday and may have cost the fragile U.S. economy up to Us$ 2 billion a day. The Pacific Maritime Association, which represents shipping companies and terminal operators, said it would order workers to report to shifts that start Wednesday evening in most ports.
The announcement came hours after Bush became the first president in a quarter-century to use the Taft-Hartley Act of 1947, which allows a president to ask a federal court with jurisdiction over the dispute to stop a strike or lockout. Judge William Alsup then issued a temporary restraining order that expires Oct. 16. Lawyers for both sides said they expect Alsup to impose the 80-day cooling-off period as mandated by Taft-Hartley at that time. A court-ordered truce would keep ports open during the crucial Christmas season, when retailers rely on imported goods to stock their shelves.
West Coast ports were closed late last month amid a bitter contract dispute that centers on the implementation of waterfront technology that unionized dock workers believe would cause job losses. Since then, about 200 ships laden with tons of cargo have backed up at docks or at anchor - unloading them is a mammoth logistical task for dockworkers and their employers.
The judge's order required longshoremen to resume work "at a normal pace," a phrase that is sure to be contentious in coming days. Even if all goes well, it will likely take eight to 10 weeks to clear the backlog caused by the port shutdown, association president Joseph Miniace estimated. He said ships carrying food and other perishables will be unloaded first.
The ports, which handle more than Us$300 billion in trade annually, account for more than half of all containerized cargo moving in and out of the country. A study prepared for the shippers' association by Martin Associates of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, estimated the cost of a 10-day work stoppage at Us$ 19 billion.
