More on the impacts of the ports slowdown, and problems in Portland
Although the Pacific Maritime Association and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union reached a tentative deal in February (which is making its way through the approval process at the union), the effects of the slowdown reverberate. The Tri-City Herald reports that while shipping has improved, there are still backlogs, which has affected the agricultural industry: […]
April 03 , 2015 - Emily Makings
West Coast ports agreement moves along
According to the Wall Street Journal, a caucus of 90 delegates of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union has voted to recommend to its full membership the agreement the union reached with the Pacific Maritime Association in February. The contract next will be put to a secret ballot of the union’s 20,000 workers at 29 […]
March 26 , 2015 - Emily Makings
New report: Senate Transportation Package Would Begin to Address State’s Significant Infrastructure Needs
We’ve published a new special report on the Senate’s transportation budget. Briefly: The Senate’s transportation package would increase spending by $13.8 billion through 2031. It would increase the state gas tax by 11.7 cents over three years, bringing in $5.6 billion through 2031. It assumes bonding authority of $3.4 billion. Of the spending, $1.3 billion […]
March 08 , 2015 - Emily Makings
March 04 , 2015 - Emily Makings
March 02 , 2015 - Emily Makings
The impacts of a bad reputation
U.S. Labor Secretary Tom Perez talked recently about how a good reputation can trump a good location when it comes to trade. Washington’s ports had enjoyed an advantage due to their location as a good access point to and from Asia, but the result of the West Coast ports work slowdown may be that that […]
February 26 , 2015 - Emily Makings
Reputational damage at the ports
As an addendum to my earlier post on the deal at the ports, NPR has a good interview with U.S. Labor Secretary Tom Perez. On the impacts of the slowdown, he says, There is so much collateral damage occurring. . . . You are playing with fire because, yes, the West Coast ports have the […]
February 24 , 2015 - Lew Moore
Streamlined Permitting for Transportation Projects
The transportation package before the state Senate includes several elements designed to speed the completion of new construction and maintenance projects, including adding a 90 day processing requirement for new construction permits, limiting permit appeals to Superior Court, and exempting maintenance from state and local permits. This initiative to increase efficiency and reduce costs is mirrored […]
February 24 , 2015 - Emily Makings
Deal reached at the ports, but normalcy may be a long way off
On Friday, the Pacific Maritime Association and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union came to an agreement on a new contract, averting a full shutdown of West Coast ports. A major slowdown had been ongoing for the past several months, which we have written about previously. According to the Los Angeles Times, The agreement, which […]
February 23 , 2015 - Emily Makings