After the nine-month-long labor dispute between shipping lines and port workers on the West Coast apparently came to an end, pending final approval of the proposed agreement, U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-SD) released a statement.
“Despite the unnecessary impacts of this prolonged labor dispute, I urge swift adoption so that agricultural producers and businesses can regain the full use of ports on the West Coast to ship goods overseas and receive necessary shipments of merchandise,” Thune, chairman of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, said. “There’s no question the slowdown has cost billions of dollars through unnecessary harm to American businesses and consumers.”
During the stalemate that began last summer between the Pacific Maritime Association — the governing body of 29 major shipping ports along the American West Coast — and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union, which represents over 20,000 dock workers, there have been numerous sporadic work stoppages and shutdowns, resulting in costly shipping backlogs. A joint statement from both sides indicated that a five-year agreement was awaiting ratification. The White House released a statement over the weekend, calling the agreement a “huge relief” for America’s economy.