West Coast Port Shutdown: Devastating For The Economy

Update: “The Pacific Maritime Association, which represents terminal operators at West Coast ports, announced Wednesday it would be stopping all vessel loading and unloading operations on Thursday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday."

If the West Coast ports are shut down at a cost to the country of nearly $2 billion a day, what will happen to manufacturing and the economy? Will the president invoke the Taft-Hartley Act to force the sides back to work by declaring a national emergency?

For those who have been following the recent ISM reports, and stories on <a href=”http://mfgtalkradio.com">MFG Talk Radio ... read more</a> 

Executives from 5 different leading industry associations discussed the crippling economic effects of the West Coast port situation today on Manufacturing Talk Radio, a live Internet broadcast to business and industry around the world.  Peter Freidman, Executive Director of the Agriculture Transportation Coalition, Mark Hirzel, President of the Los Angeles Customs Brokers & Freight Forwarders Association, Jonathan Gold, Vice President for Supply Chain and Customs Policy at the National Retail Federation, Jason Brewer, Vice President of Communications & Advocacy for the Retail Industry Leaders Association, and Chad Moutray, Chief Economist for the National Association of Manufacturers all provided facts, figures and commentary on the direct and indirect impact of the protracted West Coast port labor negotiations between the Pacific Maritime Association and the International Longshoreman and Warehouse Union.