U.S. Chamber Lauds White House Action on Dock Dispute

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The United States Chamber of Commerce today applauded the White House for stepping up pressure on port management and union leaders to resolve the contract dispute, which has severely impacted the flow of goods throughout the nation as a result of the lockout at 29 ports on the West Coast.

"Given the unique circumstances of the situation and its deeply adverse impact on businesses and their employees, we applaud the White House for increasing its pressure on both sides to quickly resolve this dispute and for invoking the emergency dispute resolutions of the Taft-Hartley Act," said Tom Donohue, Chamber president and CEO.

The affected ports handle more than $1 billion in shipments every day and the current stoppage has had significant negative impacts on an already struggling economy, according to the Chamber. The U.S. economy relies on just-in-time inventory and the ripple effect is already cascading through the business community, such as railroads unable to move containers, manufacturers unable to receive parts for assembly, shippers with merchandise stalled at the docks, and retailers experiencing shortages of consumer products.

The Chamber has been active in communicating with the Bush administration and both the Pacific Maritime Association and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union urging a prompt resolution to the shutdown. The Chamber also supported a resolution from the Marine Transportation System National Advisory Council (MTSNAC) urging a cooling-off period and having workers go back to work while continuing negotiations on a final labor contract.

"We recognize that the government should only step into a labor dispute as a matter of last resort and in extreme circumstances. That threshold has been surpassed here and we fully support the White House's decision," said Donohue.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is the world's largest business federation representing more than three million businesses and organizations of every size, sector and region.

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