MEDIA CONTACT: John Showalter, 415-775-0533 x 117
Experts Call for Cooperative Action to Relieve Growing Infrastructure Congestion in Los Angeles and Long Beach Ports
(SAN FRANCISCO, CA)―The International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) and other experts in port infrastructure called on the shipping and transportation industries to come together to solve the growing congestion that threatens to clog the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach as the peak shipping season approaches.
“We are working to expedite training and promotions but most terminal operators are dragging their feet on bringing in additional qualified help,” said Dave Arian, president of ILWU Local 13 in Wilmington. “The employers say only 60 people per week can be trained, and at that rate it will take two years to build a qualified work force. Unfortunately, shippers and the American people want their imports sooner than that.”
In a wide-ranging press briefing yesterday, Arian and port planning and trucking experts called for all of the businesses and communities who depend on the port for a living to come together to find solutions to the growing infrastructure crisis. In addition to insufficient personnel to unload the growing number of ships unloading in the port, participants pointed to railway backlogs, trucking shortages, and growing congestion of the limited land next to the ports.
“Even if we get the cooperation we need to recruit and train more workers, it will not solve the infrastructure problem,” Arian said. “We are working with Mayor Hahn of Los Angeles and others concerned about the potential harm to our economy to create a task force to address the infrastructure crisis.”
Among the ideas proposed by the participants for relieving some of the congestion resulting from increased imports were: 24-hour-a-day trucking access to the port terminals, the establishment of nearby container distribution hubs to move containers off port terminals more quickly, and more functional railway access to terminals.
“Unfortunately the commercial interests in the cargo stream―steamship lines, stevedoring, truck, and rail companies―all compete with each other and are not necessarily looking out for the interests of the broader economy,” Arian said. “ILWU members are committed to keeping the flow of goods steady and smooth. If we can help to bring all the stakeholder parties together, we will strengthen the economy, and that means more quality jobs in the port communities.”
Call participants:
Blair R. Garcia, Strategic Planner, TranSystems Corp. www.transystems.com
Bill Aboudi, President, AB Trucking www.abtruck.com
David Arian, President, ILWU Local 13 www.ilwu.org
