PMSA’s Michele Grubbs Joins CII Board of Directors
and promoting the business of international trade and the intermodal transportation community.Grubbs has been with PMSA since 2004, overseeing its Long Beach office. PMSA, an independent nonprofit association, represents ocean carriers, marine terminal operators, and the maritime industry on the U.S. West Coast. Before joining PMSA, Grubbs held various roles in the aerospace industry, focusing on international trade policy and marketing in Washington D.C., California, and Western Europe."Michele brings a wealth of expertise in international trade policy, legislation, and community affairs to our
Northwest Seaport Alliance Nmes Bellerud COO
named Jeff Bellerud as Chief Operating Officer, responsible for overseeing marine operations including rail, road, terminals, breakbulk operations, and management of the waterway.With extensive strategic level experience in terminal operations and Class 1 railroads, Bellerud’s career spans the West Coast from Los Angeles to Vancouver, British Columbia. Most recently, Jeff served as Director of Intermodal & Port Operations at CN Rail where he led port operations, including 14 marine terminals across seven port authorities in North America and led all aspects of operations for seven inland terminals
Vineyard Offshore Names Director of Labor, Workforce and Local Content
Vineyard Offshore announced Jennifer Cullen has been promoted to the position of Director of Labor, Workforce, and Local Content for all projects, including those in the three lease areas the company holds on the East and West Coasts. Cullen had previously overseen labor and workforce development for Vineyard Wind 1, which Vineyard Offshore has developed and is now constructing as a joint venture.“In Vineyard Wind, Jen has become a national leader, making the nation’s first commercial-scale offshore wind development a model for working with labor unions and creating opportunities for local
Port of Everett Hires New Trade Development Director
serve existing customers, attract new business opportunities, and ensure the economic vitality of the port and the region it serves.“I am passionate about the supply chain industry and how it makes the world go ‘round,” Craig said. “I'm very honored to be coming home to the West Coast to join the Port of Everett. I’m looking forward to collaborating with the team to drive opportunities that bring continued growth and success to the port, the local community, and the beautiful state of Washington now, and for many more years to come.”Craig brings more than 25 years
Western Canada Dock Workers Vote to Accept Contract Offer
Association (BCMEA) confirmed that the ILWU had ratified the deal."The renewed collective agreement includes increases in wages, benefits and training that recognizes the skills and efforts of B.C.'s waterfront workforce, while providing certainty and stability for the future of Canada’s West Coast ports," the BCMEA said in a statement.O'Regan said he had directed federal officials to review how a disruption on this scale unfolded, in order to ensure stability in the future and ensure a disruption of this scale does not affect Canada's supply chain again.O'Regan's office
It’s Time for an Industrial Inquiry Commission into Ports and Automation
live with.Drawing on my research on B.C. ports, I’d encourage the minister to make use of one more tool provided in the code: appoint an industrial inquiry commission on port skills and automation.Dockworkers and new technologiesTo understand the current dispute, we need to overturn the myth that west coast unionized dockworkers have refused to accept new cargo handling technologies.Since the 1960s, ports on the west coast of North America have benefited enormously from mechanization and modernization agreements, now enshrined in various collective agreements.In exchange for giving employers the freedom
Canada's Dock Workers, Employers Reach Labor Deal
Dock workers on Canada's West Coast and their employers said they reached a new labor agreement, averting an immediate strike, as they sought to end a dispute that has disrupted operations at the country's busiest ports.The International Longshore and Warehouse Canada Union (ILWU) and the British Columbia Maritime Employers Association (BCMEA) are recommending the ratification of the deal, they said in a joint statement late on Sunday. Terms were not disclosed.The dispute has upended operations at two of Canada's three busiest ports, the Port of Vancouver and the Port of Prince Rupert
Tentative US West Coast Port Contract Deal Reached
The Longshore union and employers of 22,000 dockworkers at U.S. West Coast ports on Wednesday said they have reached a tentative deal on a new six-year contract, ending 13 months of talks and easing supply chain worries.The deal was reached with assistance from Acting U.S. Labor Secretary Julie Su, the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) and the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA) employer group said in a joint statement.President Joe Biden, who dispatched Su to the negotiations in San Francisco earlier this week, said she "used her deep experience and judgment to keep the parties
White House Says West Coast Port Negotiations Show Some Progress
West Coast port employers and the union representing 22,000 workers have "overcome some sticking points" in tense labor talks that have entered their 13th month, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters on Tuesday.Acting U.S. Labor Secretary Julie Su is in San Francisco, where negotiations have been taking place, "meeting with all parties encouraging them to reach a resolution," Jean-Pierre said, adding that Su "has invaluable expertise working closely with these parties."Business groups are pressuring U.S. President Joe Biden to intervene and appoint
Cargo Operations Halt at the Port of Seattle Amid Labor Dispute
PMA says US West Coast port workers shut down Port of Seattle; workers' union denies claimThe Pacific Maritime Association (PMA), which represents terminal operators, said in a tweet on Saturday that coordinated and disruptive work actions led by the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) have shut down cargo operations at the Port of Seattle."On the first shift today, the ILWU refused to dispatch any longshore workers to container terminals, the PMA said, resulting in the shutdown of the port.The ILWU, however, said that the West Coast ports are open and accused the PMA of
Business Group Urges Biden to Intervene in West Coast Ports Labor Dispute
The largest U.S. business group on Friday urged President Joe Biden him to intervene immediately and appoint an independent mediator to address a West Coast ports labor dispute.More than 22,000 dockworkers at ports from California to Washington state have been working without a contract since July. U.S. Chamber of Commerce CEO Suzanne Clark in a letter to Biden cited "continued and potentially expanded service disruptions at these ports heading into peak shipping season."Tensions remain high as negotiators for the employers' Pacific Maritime Association (PMA) and workers' International
Jobs at Stake as California Port Terminal Upgrades to Green Technology
a fraction of the total cost of the terminal's $2.5 billion modernization program, unions and their allies hope that it and others like it will show the value of prioritizing jobs as U.S. employers adopt green technology.While the unions that represent U.S. seaport workers declined comment during West Coast port labor talks, the AFL-CIO's Transportation Trades Department, whose members include railroad and airline workers, made clear where the unions are focused. "We've been dealing with technological change for 100 years in terms of transportation labor," department
Biden Encourages Continued Collective Bargaining in US Ports Dispute
U.S. President Joe Biden has urged both sides in the West Coast ports labor dispute to continue collective bargaining, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said on Wednesday, adding acting Labor Secretary Julie Su was actively engaging with the parties.The largest terminal at Southern California's Port of Long Beach closed for the day shift Monday as dock workers rallied for better pay. Monday's temporary closure followed similar disruptions on Friday in Oakland, California. More than 22,000 dockworkers at ports stretching from California to Washington state have been working without
Retailers, Manufacturers Urge White House to Mediate in West Coast Ports Labor Dispute
Groups representing major retailers and manufacturers urged the White House on Monday to intervene in contentious West Coast port labor negotiations, citing worries about shipping disruptions during critical holiday shopping seasons.The call came after the largest terminal at Southern California's Port of Long Beach closed on Monday as dock workers rally for better pay. Monday's closure followed similar disruptions on Friday in Oakland, California.More than 22,000 dockworkers at ports stretching from California to Washington state have been working without a contract since July.Contract talks
US West Coast Port Labor Unrest Continues Amid Pay Quarrel
said all appointments were canceled for the first gate shift. Mediterranean Shipping Company SA (MSC), the world's largest container shipping line, owns a majority stake in the terminal.Representatives from TTI and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU), representing some 22,000 West Coast dockworkers, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.TTI decided to close on Monday "based on its own operational needs," said port spokesperson Lee Peterson, who added that the port's other terminals were operating and that cargo was moving.Contract talks between the
Top US Shipping Gateway Mostly Closes Due to Port Worker Shortage
A shortage of West Coast port workers has forced the busiest U.S. ocean trade gateway to largely shut on Friday, after months of strained labor negotiations between the union dock workers and their employers.A substantial number of ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach workers, including operators needed to load and unload cargo, failed to show up on the job starting Thursday evening, according to the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA), which represents employers.The PMA said the missing workers were a result of a coordinated action by the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) to withhold
Nichols Brothers Boat Builders Hires Roney as Sales, Marketing Director
Peter Roney has been hired to join the executive management team supporting U.S. West Coast shipyards Nichols Brothers Boat Builders and Everett Ship Repair.The news was announced by Shared Ice Services (SIS) is a subsidiary of Ice Cap Holding, the parent company of Ice Floe, dba Nichols Brothers Boat Builders (NBBB) and Everett Ship Repair (ESR). SIS was recently established to support the operations of the two shipyards.NBBB is a newbuild and repair yard in Freeland, Wash., and ESR is a service and repair facility in Everett, Wash.Roney joined the company as director of sales and marketing in
