FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: JULY 14, 2021
CONTACT: JENNIFER SARGENT BOKAIE, 415-583-9889
LONGSHORE WORKERS CONTINUE TO MOVE UNPRECEDENTED VOLUMES OF CARGO AT NATION’S BUSIEST PORTS TO EASE SHIPPING BACKLOG CAUSED BY INCREASED CONSUMER DEMAND AND SYSTEMIC SUPPLY CHAIN PROBLEMS
Ports of Los Angeles and Ports of Long Beach report double-digit increases in volume for June
As holiday merchandise arrives, longshore workers are dedicated to doing what’s necessary to move cargo from ships to shelves.
SAN FRANCISCO, CA (July 14, 2021) – The Port of Los Angeles and Port of Long Beach released figures for June that continue to show longshore workers unloading record-breaking volumes of cargo at West Coast ports to keep the US economy strong and help businesses meet consumer demand for back-to- school and holiday items.
According to port reports, June’s volume at the Port of Los Angeles was up 44.3% when compared to the same period a year ago and marked the busiest June in the port’s 114-year history. The Port of Long Beach also reported impressive gains with total volume up 38.5% in the first half of the year alone.
“This has been an extraordinary time at the ports, and as longshore workers we’re proud of the hard work we do every day to move the cargo that helps ensure grocery shelves are stocked, online orders received, and our U.S. economy remains strong,” said Frank Ponce De Leon, ILWU Coast Committeeman. “As we move into one of the busiest times at the ports with back-to-school and holiday merchandise arriving, it’s essential that we continue to do what’s necessary to move cargo as quickly as the supply chain will allow.”
Last month, the Port of Los Angeles celebrated the movement of 10 million 20-foot equivalent units (TEU) during a 12-month period, making the port the first in the Western Hemisphere to achieve such a milestone. EachTEUisameasureofvolumerepresentingone20-footcontainer. Theannouncementcame shortly after the Port of Long Beach released its figures for May, breaking yet another all-time cargo record. The numbers also show that trade at both ports are up 44 percent compared to last year’s numbers due to pandemic-related imports.
“I am proud of ILWU workers up and down the West Coast who have been working hard to keep our nation’s economy moving forward,” said Cameron Williams, ILWU Coast Committeeman. “No one could have predicted the pandemic nor its impact on the demand for consumer goods, PPE and medical supplies. But longshore workers continue to step up to deliver, knowing how important their work is to keeping America moving, even at times when they and their families faced the same fears and concerns as everyone else.”
“The Port is the beating heart of our economy, the backbone of our region’s prosperity, and the crossroads that makes Los Angeles a true gateway to the rest of the world,” said Mayor Eric Garcetti at a press event held at the Port of Los Angeles to celebrate the milestone. “Reaching this remarkable milestone is a reflection of its role as a critical engine of the global supply chain — and a testament to our unmatched port
infrastructure and highly-skilled workforce.”
COVID-19 changed consumer spending habits with quarantining and many workers working from home, spending more money on goods than on services. Pandemic-related spending resulted in 2020 being the busiest year on record for imports at our West Coast ports, and 2021 exceeding those numbers monthly. Due to the imports overwhelming all parts of the supply chain including railroads, warehouses, distribution centers and ports, some ports experienced up to 30 ships anchored while waiting for the space at the ports.
However, as a result of the work being done by the more than 14,000 longshore workers, marine clerks, walking bosses and casuals represented by the ILWU at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, and the more than 20,000 longshore workers up and down the West Coast, the backlog of ships waiting in harbors to dock and unload has diminished with cargo being moved from ships and to local shelves.
The International Longshore and Warehouse Union formed in 1934 and is headquartered in San Francisco, California. Its Coast Longshore Division represents more than 20,000 Longshore Workers, Marine Clerks and Walking Bosses/Foremen in California, Oregon, and Washington.
Learn more by visiting us at www.ILWULongshore.org and following us on twitter @ILWULongshore. ## #
