Truck drivers who transport freight out of the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach announced they will strike against four ground-shipment companies this week on the grounds of illegal misclassification. According to the drivers, the companies are guilty of wage theft as they consider the truckers to be independent contractors rather than employees with the right to union representation.
Port workers in Chile have scheduled a strike for today, April 21st, 2015. The strike will last for 24 hours and is meant to display the port workers’ displeasure at not being consulted about the new labor law.
As the Port of Valparaiso is a private port, workers there will not adhere to the strike.
On behalf of the Port of NY/NJ, below is a message outlining the improvements made at the port in order to alleviate congestion. panynj
The strengthening economy, re-routed cargo from the West Coast, shifting trade routes and business trends have all contributed to a greater than 10 percent increase in overall cargo volumes in the Port of New York and New Jersey over the past two months. Our terminals have received more than a dozen “extra loaders” ocean carriers have employed to handle additional volume.
We recently received news that there will be a nationwide longshoremen strike in France beginning Thursday, April 9th, at 6am and running through Friday, April 10th.
Needless to say, this will negatively impact port operations, but we will do our best to ensure that our members’ shipments avoid problems or delays.
The Journal of Commerce reports, “High volume and the lingering impact of West Coast gridlock continue to produce uneven delays at East Coast container ports.”
Hampton Roads at the Port of Virginia and the Port of NY/NJ have been especially impacted by the volume surge. Both are staying open through Good Friday in order to catch up on some of the backlog. The Port of Savannah in Georgia has also seen sharp increases in volume due in combination to rerouted cargo from the West Coast and a strengthening economy. In February alone, container throughput at the port increased 14.2%.
