Biden’s Labor Chief Visits California Amid West Coast Port Negotiations

Vessels wait to offload containers into the Port of Los Angeles, Calif., on Oct. 27, 2021. John Fredricks/The Epoch Times

Acting U.S. Labor Secretary Julie Su visited California on June 13 amid West Coast port contract negotiations.

Su met with employers and the dockworkers union in an effort to help the two sides come to a compromise in a long-running contract negotiation.

West Coast ports have faced labor disruptions that have caused delays and prompted ocean shippers to move cargo to the East and Gulf coasts.

West Coast ports are an important part of the U.S. supply chains, and Su’s involvement could help alleviate the issues arising from stalled contract negotiations.

U.S. President Joe Biden delivers remarks aboard the Battleship USS Iowa Museum at the Port of Los Angeles in Los Angeles on June 10, 2022 Mario Tama/Getty Images

Su was “meeting with all parties encouraging them to reach a resolution,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said, adding that Su “has invaluable expertise working closely with these parties.”

The Pacific Maritime Association (PMA), representing terminal operators with ties to the shipping companies, said port operations in Seattle, Los Angeles, and Long Beach, California, have suffered disruptions due to labor shortages since the pandemic.

Julie McClain Downey, assistant labor secretary for public affairs, told Bloomberg that Su is encouraging ocean carriers and terminal operators, represented by the Pacific Maritime Association, and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union “to stay at the table and reach an agreement.”

Labor Negotiations Continue

On June 9, Suzanne Clark, president of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, wrote a letter to President Joe Biden, warning his administration about the “premeditated and disruptive service actions that are slowing operations at several major West Coast ports during ongoing contract negotiations between the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) and the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA).”

“With continued and potentially expanded service disruptions at these ports heading into peak shipping season, we urge your administration to intervene immediately and appoint an independent mediator to help the two parties reach an agreement that prevents significant economic harm to American families and the economy,” wrote Clark.

Ships have been delayed at berth at the No. 1 U.S. container gateway at Los Angeles/Long Beach, due to a lack of “lashers” who secure and unlock containers onboard vessels.

“West Coast ports are open as we continue to work under our expired collective bargaining agreement,” said Willie Adams, president of the ILWU. He reiterated the union’s intention of reaching an agreement. Su is meeting with both ILWU and PMA, the department said.

The Retail Industry Leaders Association told the Los Angeles Times it was “encouraged” to see Su “directly engaged with negotiating parties at our nation’s West Coast ports.”

“We urge Acting Labor Secretary Su to stay engaged until a resolution is reached that ensures the uninterrupted flow of goods and restores confidence in the West Coast ports as a reliable gateway for global commerce,” the group said in a statement.

Late last year, Biden stepped in to finalize a contract deal covering union freight railroad workers whose contract expired in 2020. Those workers were also critical during the pandemic. Their deal included a 24 percent raise over five years, including when they worked without a contract.

West Coast port workers are also seeking such retroactive pay.

“It was tough for me, but it was the right thing to do at the moment—save jobs, to protect millions of working families from harm and disruption, and to keep supply chains stable around the holidays,” Biden said at the time, adding that the deal avoided “an economic catastrophe.”

Reuters contributed to this report.