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Conflict between the ILWU and the PMA continues into the New Year as each organization has initiated actions that will further exacerbate the congestion. In an effort to gain leverage over employers, the ILWU withheld a large number of skilled crane operators from their shifts. Without the crane operators, the cargo-handling operations have experienced a drastic slow down. In response, the PMA has reduced the number of night-shift workers to mitigate the amount of container build-up that would occur if the night shifts were unloading at the proper rate.

In the midst of the negativity surrounding the West Coast congestion, some good news can be reported on the trucking industry. As the AgTC reports, the portion of the 34 hour restart rule that requires truckers to take two rest periods between 1am and 5am is being repealed. Doing this will allow truckers to travel unhindered when the roads are the least busy, and will also allow them to reset their weekly hours before 7 full days have passed.