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Authors: Global News Sources / ILWU Coast Longshore Division

Excerpted from Wolfe Research:

On Friday, the USDA released its initial grain production and grain export forecasts for the upcoming 2013-14 crop year. Total corn, wheat and soybean (the 3 major crops moved by the rails) production is expected to increase 22% y/y after dropping 8% last year and 14% in total the past 3 years. The USDA also expects total exports for these 3 crops to increase 18% y/y, a major reversal from a 30%+ decline the past 2 years.

This Would Be Positive for Grain Volumes Starting in Late 3Q

Total grain vols for the U.S. rails are tracking down 6% YTD and have been weak for the past 8 qtrs. following last year’s terrible drought. Initial crop forecasts are extremely sensitive to weather conditions (last year’s crop finished 21% below last May’s initial forecast), but assuming more normal weather this year, grain vols seem likely to inflect strongly positive y/y by late 3Q and to remain positive through 1H:14. Note that the USDA’s yield assumptions for this year’s crop already assume at least some negative impact from the delayed start to this year’s planting season.

Greater Grain Exposure in the West

Among the public U.S. Class I rails, UNP and KSU have the most total grain/agriculture exposure at 16% of total rev., well above CSX and NSC at around 9%. As shown below, UNP and KSU also have relatively more export exposure than the eastern rails. By crop, the western rails are primarily leveraged more to corn and wheat, while the eastern rails are relatively more exposed to soybeans.

Link to Source: Wolfe Research

Read More At: http://www.longshoreshippingnews.com/2013/05/wolf-research-strong-initial-2013-14-grain-projections/

Authors: Global News Sources / ILWU Coast Longshore Division

PORTLAND, OR (May 18, 2013) – A Portland longshore worker is recovering at home after being struck by a Marubeni-Columbia Grain customer who was crossing an ILWU picket line at the Port of Portland on May 16. The worker, a member of ILWU Local 92, was knocked to the ground after the semi truck’s driver confronted picketers and then allowed his semi to lurch forward into about a dozen picketing workers.

“It was scary to watch one of our brothers knocked to the ground by a truck that towered over everyone in its path,” said Martin Nelson, who was ILWU Local 8’s picket captain at the time of the incident. “The semi driver lost his cool, made threats toward the picketers, and without warning, his truck lurched forward into the crowd and knocked one of us over.”

Bruce Holte, ILWU Local 8 president, said, “The District Attorney’s office is reviewing video of the semi truck driving into the picket line, and we believe any fair process will result in charges bring brought against the driver. There’s no excuse for driving into picketers and putting their lives at risk.”

The injured longshore worker was knocked to the ground and remained there until medical staff arrived. He was brought to the hospital and found to have minor injuries to his knee, elbow and back. The union is not identifying the worker out of respect for his privacy. The truck belonged to a dairy in Bellfountain, Oregon.

ILWU members are volunteering to staff round-the-clock picket lines to protest the employer-initiated lockout at the Port of Portland’s Columbia Grain, which is owned by Japan-based Marubeni. The lockout began on May 4 and results in about 75 local workers being left unemployed each day. Marubeni has hired Delaware-based strikebreaking firm J.R. Gettier and Associates to provide security and replacement workers during the lockout.

Marubeni is a member of the Pacific Northwest Grain Handlers’ Association, which also includes United Grain in Vancouver (which is owned by Japan’s Mitsui, and which locked out ILWU Local 4 members on February 27); Louis Dreyfus Commodities in Seattle and Portland (LDC is French-owned but presently headquartered in the Netherlands to avoid French tax increases on the wealthy), and Tacoma-based TEMCO, with facilities in Kalama, Tacoma and Portland. All of the employers except TEMCO imposed a concessionary agreement in December that had been rejected by 94% in a union membership vote; TEMCO continued to negotiate with the ILWU and reached an agreement that was passed by the membership by a 74% yes vote and ratified in February. The ILWU has called on Marubeni and the other foreign grain employers to return to the negotiating table and consider the TEMCO agreement for negotiations.

– ILWU Coast Longshore Division news release

Read More At: http://www.longshoreshippingnews.com/2013/05/longshoreman-recovering-after-being-struck-by-marubeni-columbia-grain-customers-semi-truck-at-picket-line/

Authors: Global News Sources / ILWU Coast Longshore Division

Our condolences go out to the family, friends and colleagues of our union brother.

From NBC:

A body retrieved from a truck that went into the water off of a street in West Oakland Friday afternoon was that of a local longshoreman who had worked at the Port of Oakland for more than 50 years, a co-worker said.

The truck went into the water shortly after 1:35 p.m. near the 2800 block of Seventh Street.

“He’s a very loved man, he’s like a father to all of us,” said Frank Gaskin, a business agent with International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 10.

Read more here

Read More At: http://www.longshoreshippingnews.com/2013/05/beloved-longshoreman-plunges-to-death-in-oakland/

Authors: Global News Sources / ILWU Coast Longshore Division

A 23-year-old dock worker had to be rescued from the cargo hold of a ship being unloaded at the Port of Wilmington this afternoon after a 2,000-pound coil of wire rolled on top of his chest.

About 4 p.m., rescue workers from the Wilmington Fire Department and county paramedics were called to the Port of Wilmington and went 70 feet down into the hold to evaluate the injured man, said fire department spokesman Capt. Michael Schaal. The man is listed in stable condition with leg and hip injuries.

More at Delaware Online

Read More At: http://www.longshoreshippingnews.com/2013/05/dock-worker-rescued-from-cargo-hold-in-port-of-wilmington-de/