Long Beach, Calif. terminal hit by labor turmoil and won’t open Monday
Total Terminals International (TTI), the largest terminal operator at the ports of Long Beach and Seattle, has announced that it will close for both day and night shifts on Monday, according to an email obtained by CNBC. The notice comes amid growing concern over labour issues at west coast ports, with longshoremen and “dailies” (members brought in to complete the workforce schedule) failing to show up or delaying work. No longshoremen have reported for work at the Port of Oakland since Thursday. The situation is impacting trucking companies operating from the ports, which operate most efficiently on dual transactions. As one spokesperson said, “one kink at one terminal will gum up a whole day and reverberate well beyond that single shift… if an entire complex is shut down, the wrench that gets thrown into the gears not only disrupts that particular day’s activity, but the residual impacts take days to dig out from since new appointments need to be made, schedules need to be modified and customers have to adjust receiving schedules.”
FAQs:
What has Total Terminals International announced?
The company has announced the closure of its port operations in Seattle and Long Beach on Monday.
Why is this happening?
It’s due to growing concerns over labour issues at west coast ports.
What impact is this having on trucking companies?
It’s making it more difficult to achieve dual transactions, in which drivers can drop off and pick up a container on the same day. One spokesperson said that “one kink at one terminal will gum up a whole day and reverberate well beyond that single shift… if an entire complex is shut down, the wrench that gets thrown into the gears not only disrupts that particular day’s activity, but the residual impacts take days to dig out from since new appointments need to be made, schedules need to be modified and customers have to adjust receiving schedules.”
Are other ports affected?
Yes, no longshoremen have reported to work at the Port of Oakland since Thursday. At the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, no dailies reported for work on Sunday.
Labor Unrest Causes Long Beach, Calif. Terminal to Remain Closed on Monday
Total Terminals International (TTI), a subsidiary of MSC, has announced it will be closed for the day and night shifts on Monday, according to an email obtained by CNBC. TTI is the largest terminal operator at the Ports of Long Beach and Seattle. The email release has been described as unusual by Matt Schrap, CEO of the Harbor Trucking Association, and he warns the action will worsen congestion further. Many members of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union are believed to have “red tagged” equipment for safety checks, removing it from service. Longshoremen prepare containers for each day’s pickup; trucking companies operate most efficiently when their drivers make a “dual transaction” involving dropping off and picking up a container on the same day. The Port of Los Angeles, the USA’s largest port, processed 2.5m containers from January through April.