Port of LB director voices concern over stalled rail contract talks
Port of Long Beach Executive Director Mario Cordero is not thrilled about the latest supply chain snag: a renewed sense of uncertainty as railroads and its laborers reach another stalemate. The Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees Division, the country’s third-largest rail union, has rejected the five-year agreement proposed by the railroads with the help of the Biden Administration. Cordero is warning that a rail strike would be catastrophic for the United States supply chain and that the ports rely upon railroads to move cargo.
At the American Association of Port Authorities annual convention on October 17th, Cordero also advised that he is monitoring labor negotiations between the International Longshore and Warehouse Union and the management team from the Pacific Maritime Association. Both sides have pledged that they want to settle upon a long-term deal and will keep negotiations out of the public eye.
We wouldn’t want both port workers and railroad workers striking, now would we?
Medical experts are warning that a prolonged strike at ports along the East and Gulf coasts could disrupt the supply of life-saving medications.