Jan 29 NY and New Jersey’s cargo terminals shut down on Friday after more than a thousand longshoremen walked off the job, shuttering one of the country’s busiest port networks.
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The Port Authority of NY/NJ announced via social media that a labor action was taking place around 11 a.m., stating that truck operations were suspended due to “an apparent labor walk off at all port terminals”.
John Nardi, head of the New York Shipping Association, which represents shipping lines in their negotiations with the union, said the walkout was illegal because it violated clauses in the union’s contract with port management preventing most unplanned work stoppages.
“We strongly urge the ILA members to return to work immediately and resolve their differences after they return”, a Port Authority spokesman told the local affiliate of ABC News.
Content Preview This content is exclusive for Optimum, Time Warner, Comcast, customers with access to News 12. “In the meantime, Port Authority Police are actively working to ensure public safety for all of the stakeholders at the port”.
Port Authority warned of “heavy volume on all port roads”, and urged truck drivers to avoid the ports. A spokeswoman told Bloomberg that the organization was “trying to understand the reason for what appears to be a walkout and will take every measure available to ensure work resumes”. The association represents the terminal operators, ocean carriers, and stevedores.
McNamara also criticized another organization that oversees the port, the Waterfront Commission of New York Harbor.
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Spokespeople for the International Longshoremen’s Association and the New York Shipping Association didn’t immediately respond to messages seeking information. The port complex handle over 3.3 million containers per year at $200 billion in good.
