Coscline learned that on Wednesday morning, dock workers at the Port of Oakland on the west coast of the United States suddenly went on strike. Many container terminals including Everport, TraPac, OICT and Howard were closed, and terminal operations were completely suspended! There is currently a major disruption to the supply chain, setting off a domino effect in the usually bustling port.
Notice to customers on the afternoon of November 2, US time: The Oakland Docks Union decided to strike, because the labor contract had expired and the arbitration mechanism could not be activated. The dock operations had to be stopped, and the first shift of all docks in Oakland was stopped.
After the strike, the Port of Auckland also issued a notice for the first time, informing the possible impact of the strike and the follow-up arrangements, as follows:
Coscline found that in the notice, the Port of Auckland issued a warning and described the reasons for the sudden strike “because the labor contract has expired” and the travel costs of union civilians who live farther away. Prior to that, Auckland docks had been waiting more than 10 days for a berth due to underutilization by unions, and any additional shutdown would only exacerbate the situation.
According to reports: The shutdown is not an official action by the docks union ILWU. In fact, an ILWU spokesperson said: “I have received no information today about Oakland, and if something happens there, it will be a local issue, not a union-wide issue or an entire U.S. West Coast port issue.”
The Port of Oakland told local radio station KCBS in a statement, “They are aware of and are monitoring the situation closely. We are working with our maritime partners to keep international trade flowing and protect local jobs. The port hopes that ILWU and PMA will be able to Fix this so Auckland importers and exporters are not affected. Protesters have emptied the harbour area and our international marine terminals will be trying to reopen with a shift tonight (Wednesday night).”
“The port’s Everport, TraPac, OICT and Howard terminals were closed Wednesday morning, while the Matson and shipper Transport Express terminals remained,” the Port of Oakland said in an email to local fleet owners, according to freight magazine Overdrive. open.”
Dockworkers told KCBS radio: “We’re serious about this strike, it’s not just about money, it’s about our livelihoods. To protect what you have, you have to be willing to fight for it. Now, we are willing to fight for it. We are willing to go out there and do what we have to do and let them know that we are serious about it, not just for fun.”
It is understood that prior to the strike, Auckland Docks had been underrun by unions, resulting in ship waiting times of more than 10 days, so any additional stoppages will only exacerbate the situation.