West Coast port labour talks running out of time

[LOS ANGELES] With peak shipping season approaching, US retailers are anxiously monitoring labour negotiations affecting 20,000 workers at West Coast ports that handle more than 40 per cent of goods shipped in ocean containers.

The six-year contract between dockworkers and the employers who operate port terminal and shipping lines expires on July 1 at 5 pm PDT (0000 GMT). It covers workers at 29 ports from California to Washington state, including major hubs in Los Angeles/Long Beach and Seattle/Tacoma.

Representatives for the workers and their employers said they expect container cargo to continue moving until an agreement is reached, but retailers and other business that depend on the ports are still haunted by a costly 2002 shutdown.