How the ports on the West Coast are affected by the port strikes

We are on the third day of the dockers' strike. So far there is no agreement between the International Longshoremen's Association and the ports on wages or automation.

Longshoremen on the East and West Coasts are represented by two different unions. So while workers on the East Coast walk the picket lines, workers on the West Coast are dealing with rerouted freight so you can still receive the vacuum cleaner you ordered online.

And it's not like a switch was flipped at the start of the strike.

“This surge came to us some time before the actual strike,” he said Leal Sundet, treasurer of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union, which represents Portland workers. He says shipping companies have already diverted cargo in the event of a strike. This started a few months ago.

“They bring the freight to the West Coast and then transport it by rail to the East Coast,” he said.

At the Port of Oakland, the increase since the strike hasn't been that bad, says spokeswoman Marilyn Sandifur. Because the increase in demand is not much greater than the normal increase in vacations. So the port's reaction to this is the same.

“As more ships and more cargo come in, they need to increase the number of dockworkers handling that cargo,” she said. “That likely means more truck drivers coming to pick up and drop off freight. That’s basically how it works.”

Sandifur said the increase in freight began as early as February this year and strike concerns were likely only part of the reason.

“What could be happening is that retailers, you know, after experiencing congestion during the pandemic, may have decided to just move their goods earlier in the year, certainly through the Oakland Seaport, we saw a big increase in imports” said Sandifur.

However, along the coast, in the ports of LA and Long Beach, the increase in cargo is more noticeable. It is the largest port complex in the country. The Long Beach side handled 913,000 shipping containers last month, about 18% more than normal.

“This is a record in our 113-year history,” said Mario Cordero, CEO of the Port of Long Beach. “And it tells me that cargo is coming from other gateways.”

There are several reasons why the strike-related recovery has not overwhelmed these ports. First: The timing isn't bad.

“July through September is essentially what we call peak season,” Cordero said.

This means that if the strike continues, diverted ships will continue to arrive, just as the peak season is coming to an end. Cordero said Long Beach is already at about 70% capacity.

The other reason: The port has been preparing for years for a future with more residents and more consumption, in which this record-breaking amount of cargo will be completely normal.

“That’s why we invested a lot of money in our infrastructure,” Cordero said.

Cordero also says he is confident that eastern ports and workers will reach an agreement before consumers experience shortages or delays.