In a bid to maintain and grow market share, it has been reported that labour stability is among the most important factors for increasing productivity along the US West Coast, as more mega-ships begin to make their calls, and shippers continue to question the impressionable relationship between the International Longshore Workers Union and the Pacific Maritime Association, according to the Journal of Commerce.
Jonathan Gold, Vice President of Supply Chain and Customs Policy of the National Retail Federation, said: “We were assured nothing would happen. These disruptions should never have happened.”
The labour disruptions in early 2015 resulted in the shutdown of more than 25 ports along the USWC. However, operations have since stabilised, with the Port of Long Beach recently announcing its seventh consecutive month of surging container volumes.
Technical Paper: Unprecedented Alliances: Tackling the Biggest Alliances
Chris Lytle, Executive Director at the Port of Oakland, said: “It’s one thing to have stability. It’s another to have efficiency.”
John Fageaux, President of ILWU Local 63 Office Clerical Unit, said: “We have to do things differently. No one is going to tolerate disruptions.”
Tony Scioscia, Principal at Anthony A. Scioscia Management, said: “We know what the problems are. We know what the fixes are. We must work together jointly on these issues.”
CMA CGM recently announced its decision to deploy a further six mega-ships to the US shortly after its 18,000 TEU Benjamin Franklin mega-ship docked at the Port of Seattle, thereby effectively entering the US into the mega-ship era.
As ships get larger and super alliances begin their formations, shippers have urged for a new forum to address the challenges that these mega-alliances place on the liner industry.