Daily News
From Home Furnishing Business
West Coast Ports Open for Business Under Deal
February 23,
2015 by in Delivery, Industry 
Now that dockworkers and management of America’s 29 West Coast ports have reached a tentative, five-year agreement, the dig out from the nine-month long standoff begins.
It could take up to eight weeks to clear the cargo backlog from ships waiting offshore.
The tentative agreement between the International Longshore and Warehouse Union and port operators was reached late Friday after U.S. Labor Secretary Tom Perez imposed a deadline for a deal. Dockworkers at West Coast ports, which manage more than 43 percent of U.S. trade, had slowed cargo and employers cut shifts since October.
The deal must be ratified by the 13,000 union members
“After months of congestion and the very real possibility of a debilitating shutdown, retailers are relieved to see a deal in place, and anxious to see the ports up and running at full capacity,” said Kelly Kolb, vice president of government affairs for the Retail Industry Leaders Association. “It will take months for business to return to normal, but this is obviously a huge first step in the right direction.”