Some ports along the US East and Gulf coasts are going public with their contingency plans ahead of a planned strike by dockworkers on Oct. 1, including staying open for business on weekends.
That comes as some ocean carriers are cutting off new export bookings ahead of the possible work stoppage and issuing surcharges for cargo en route to potentially closed ports.
The contingency plans come amid the increasing likelihood that the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) will not reach an agreement with the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX) for a new master contract covering East and Gulf coast dockworkers. ILA President Harold Daggett has told his members that the union will not agree to an extension once the current contract expires on Sept. 30.
The Georgia Ports Authority (GPA) said in a customer advisory Wednesday that shippers should take delivery of cargo before Oct. 1, noting its Garden City Terminal in Savannah will be closed after that in the event of a strike. In addition to opening for the two Saturdays remaining in September, Garden City will open for a full day on Sunday, Sept. 29 for cargo retrieval.
The GPA said it will take export containers until Sept. 30, including refrigerated containers. But it said that if a reefer box does not make it onto a ship by that day, “they will not be monitored and maintained if the port is closed due to a work stoppage.”
The GPA added that it will not charge terminal demurrage to shippers during a work stoppage.
A notice Wednesday from the Port of Houston said its two container terminals plan to open truck gates and work on vessels up until 7 pm on Sept. 30, with the cutoff for export drop-offs an hour earlier. The port said it is evaluating the need for extending regular work hours for the terminals next week, with plans to open Saturday, Sept. 28.
“We encourage imports to be picked up as soon as possible, anything in the yard after 7 pm on September 30th, 2024, will be unavailable until the work stoppage ends,” the notice said. Houston said it would waive an import dwell fee for containers.
The Port of Virginia said in an operations alert that it will open its two main container terminals and the Pinner’s Point Container Yard, which handles empties and chassis, for the next two Saturdays and the Sunday immediately before a strike.
Details please refer to JOC news.
Source:
Angell, M. (2024, September 18). Some US ports extending gate hours ahead of strike deadline. Journal of Commerce. https://www.joc.com/article/some-us-ports-extending-gate-hours-ahead-of-strike-deadline-5730261