International Longshoreman News

The catastrophic bridge collapse that closed the Port of Baltimore to ship traffic is unlikely to trigger a major new U.S. supply chain crisis or spike goods prices, due to ample and growing spare capacity at competing East Coast ports, economists and logistics experts say.With six people still missing after a container ship collision destroyed the Francis Scott Key Bridge, it remained unclear how long the span's twisted superstructure would block the harbor's mouth.But port officials…

The Georgia Ports Authority (GPA) has approved the rail and gate expansion projects that will significantly boost capacity at the Port of Savannah’s Garden City Terminal - North America’s biggest container terminal. “A strong Southeast U.S. economy, on-terminal expansion, and investment by private logistics firms throughout the region have resulted in phenomenal growth for Georgia,” said Executive Director Griff Lynch. “But these record volumes could not have been possible without the tireless dedication of the men and women responsible for moving this cargo. In addition to record container volumes, Lynch reported to the Board that total tonnage for all terminals climbed by 25 percent, from 2.6 million to 3.2 million tons, for an additional 661,290 tons of cargo.

APM Terminals has significantly increased its previously announced USD $70 million investment plans for the APM Terminals Port Elizabeth facility, and now plans an investment total of USD $200 million. This figure includes ordering four next-generation Ship-To-Shore (STS) cranes to handle ultra-large container ships (ULCS) at North America’s second-busiest port complex. These vessels are expected to start calling the port right after the heightening of the Bayonne Bridge is completed later this year. The heightening of the Bayonne Bridge, combined with the widened Panama Canal allows these ULCS liner services to call and be operated efficiently at the advanced APM Terminals facility.

Broward County's Port Everglades is moving forward with a plan to widen and deepen its channels, but there are still several steps to go before construction begins, the Port's Chief Executive Steven Cernak told elected officials and business leaders during an event to celebrate the project's long-awaited approval from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. In addition, Cernak announced that the Corps has committed $1.2 million for the immediate next step, which is the pre-construction engineering and design phase, estimated to cost a total of $5.6 million. "Our Congressional Delegation has taken our message to Capitol Hill with determination and perseverance, so that we can begin the design phase this fall and be ready for construction before receiving Congressional authorization," Cernak said.

U.S. Members of Congress Dave Reichert (WA-8), Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA-5), Doc Hastings (WA-4), Jaime Herrera Beutler (WA-3), Kurt Schrader (OR-5), Greg Walden (OR-2), and Mike Simpson (ID-2) sent a letter to President Obama to ask that he encourage the International Longshoreman Warehouse Union and the Pacific Maritime Association to use a federal mediator in order to bring about a swift resolution to their current contract negotiations. The members said, “Communities throughout the Pacific Northwest and across the country rely on thriving ports – which support hundreds of thousands of jobs in our states – to export their products around the world. This is the second letter Pacific Northwest members of Congress have sent regarding the ILWU and PMA to call for a quick resolution.

Deborah Hadden has been appointed Port Director by Thomas P. Glynn, CEO of the Massachusetts Port Authority (Massport). In her new role, Hadden will be responsible for directing the planning, development, marketing, operation, security, financial management, administration and maintenance of Massport’s non-aviation properties in the Port of Boston. Hadden had been Acting Port Director since October, 2012, and was instrumental in achieving many successes in directing the Port of Boston in the last 10 months.

“Today’s vote ratifying a new, long-term master labor contract is welcomed news to the nation’s retailers, who have been on pins-and-needles for the past year due to the possibility of a supply chain disruption along the 14 East and Gulf Coast container ports. “The ILA and United States Maritime Alliance should be commended for reaching today’s pinnacle vote, and doing so without engaging in any disruption, stoppage, lockout or strike. “The retail industry would also like to recognize the dedication of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS) and the hard work of FMCS Director George Cohen and his team of negotiators, who managed to keep both sides at the table to hammer out this deal. “The nation’s ports are our economic lifeline to the world.

ITF recognise the tentative six-year labour contract agreement reached for workers at the Port of New York as potentially significant. ITF-affiliated union the International Longshoreman’s Association (ILA), which represents dock workers in New York and New Jersey, has been in negotiations with the New York Shippers Association for several months over a local contract. Talks between the ILA and management have fostered the deal on regional working rules and other local issues, which is said to still be in need of some ‘refinement’. The deal is potentially of significance as it is part of a series of larger talks between the ILA and the US Maritime Alliance of shippers, terminal operators and port authorities.

Federal Mediation & Conciliation Service Director George H. Cohen on negotiations between United States Maritime Alliance & the International Longshoreman's Association. "I am extremely pleased to announce that today the parties have approved their tentative agreement for a successor Master Agreement. In doing so, the parties have successfully concluded lengthy, complex and understandably sometimes contentious negotiations concerning a multitude of economic and job related issues. "This monumental result, which will be submitted to their respective memberships for ratification, paves the way for six years of stable labor-management relations covering all the Atlantic and Gulf Coast ports.

Delaware River Port Community schedule a one-day donation drive. Organizers from private and public sector port businesses and agencies throughout the tri-state region have scheduled a one-day donation drive for Saturday, November 17, 2012, from 8:00am – 5:00pm, to help those affected by Hurricane Sandy. There are drop-off locations at Philadelphia's Wholesale Produce Market, Gloucester's Marine Terminal, and Wilmington's Chase Center on the Riverfront. The efforts will support several New Jersey charitable and relief organizations, such as the Salvation Army, and the United Way of Monmouth County. “We in the Delaware River Valley were extremely lucky that Sandy caused little to no damage in our area,” said Kurt Ferry, of Greenwich Terminals.

Concluding three of four days of scheduled negotiations, the two sides announced agreement in principle on issues involving the introduction of new technology and automation and maintenance and repair of chassis within marine terminals and at off-pier facilities at the East and Gulf Coast ports. "We had a productive session in Florida," ILA president Harold J. Daggett and USMX chairman and CEO James A. Capo said in a joint statement. "The East and Gulf Coasts ports are crucial to the health of the nation's economy and we take seriously our responsibility to reaching an agreement without any disruption in the supply chain and operation of the 14 ports," they said. Capo and Daggett also directed management and ILA locals to begin bargaining on local port issues.

Stalled contract negotiations between the International Longshoremen's Association and United States Maritime Alliance are scheduled to resume this week, but many shippers are preparing for the worst this fall, according to an online poll by 'The Journal of Commerce'. More than 75 percent of respondents consider labor disruption at East and Gulf Coast ports likely, and 68.1 percent have contingency plans in place to divert cargo. The ILA has not had a coastwide strike since 1977, but many shippers became concerned after a heated panel discussion between ILA President Harold Daggett and USMX president James Capo at The Journal of Commerce's TPM conference in March. Apprehension has increased over the last few months as both sides released statements about ongoing negotiation difficulties.

On October 17, the Port of Cleveland exported a two million pound machine manufactured by an Ohio company to Bremen, Germany for use in ArcelorMittal’s plant there. Butech Bliss, a 150-year-old company based in Salem, manufactures heavy equipment for the metals processing industry. For over a year, the company’s 230 employees have been working to manufacture the shear for ArcelorMittal, the largest steel producer in the world. The machine is designed to cut three-inch-thick by 86 inch wide steel in its Bremen Hot Mill. The company was awarded the work after it won a competitive process with European-based companies for the job. Will Friedman…

Federal authorities arrested 20 people, most of them current or former longshoremen, on charges of smuggling massive amounts of cocaine through Miami on cruise ships or in cargo containers from Colombia. Two other suspects, Ernie Acosta and Fernando Martinez -- alleged to be the main importers of the cocaine -- are wanted as fugitives. All 22 were indicted on trafficking or conspiracy charges in three related operations aimed at breaking up smuggling through Miami's busy port. "The longshoremen involved have had their grip on the Port of Miami for far too long and these cases go a long way to loosening that stranglehold," U.S. Attorney Guy Lewis said. The Port of Miami is a hub for trade with Latin America and Europe and also calls itself the capital of the cruise industry.

A plan is underway to develop the Port of Philadelphia into a major best-in-class East Coast container facility with the potential of employing some 175,000 people and handling more than 3.5 million containers annually. Two major American terminal operators and an investment firm have already expressed interest in developing and operating container handling facilities under the new port development plan. However, the entire development is being jeopardized by the proposed relocation of a 1,100-employee Food Distribution Center (FDC) on prime waterfront real estate. Maritime and port interests are lobbying politicians and the Philadelphia Regional Port Authority to relocate the FDC away from the area.

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