U.S. Representatives Dave Reichert (R-WA), Mike Coffman (R-CO), Dan Newhouse (R-WA), and Amata Radewagen (R-American Samoa) have introduced the Protecting Orderly and Responsible Transit of Shipment (PORTS) Act. As of a result of the prolonged contract negotiations and slowdown of cargo handling at West Coast ports last year and this year, which caused significant disruptions throughout the economy, the bill was introduced to prevent this from happening again.
“For our constituents who depend on trade, it is critical that we maintain the efficient movement of goods into and out of our ports. If we do not, our economy and our communities will suffer just as they did during the most recent West Coast ports contract negotiations and while the parties ultimately came to an agreement and concluded the contract negotiations, the process took far too long and the damage to the rest of our economy far too great. The update to the Taft-Hartley Act and a study on the slowdown called for in H.R. 3433 will help to ensure that future negotiations cannot cause such harm to our businesses, growers, manufacturers, and producers across the nation.”
The Taft-Hartley Act currently allows the president to intervene when there is a “threatened or actual strike or lockout affecting an entire industry, which will, if permitted to occur or to continue, imperil the national health or safety.”
The PORTS Act clarifies current law to ensure the president can intervene to protect the economy in the case of a slowdown. The bill would also allow governors to appoint boards of inquiry under Taft-Hartley Act as well as petition a court of jurisdiction to intervene in the case of a slowdown, strike, or lockout. The final piece of the legislation calls for a study on the recent West Coast ports slowdown in order to understand its impact and prevent future occurrences.
From May of 2014 through February of 2015, the Pacific Maritime Association and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union negotiated a multi-year contract covering the 29 West Coast container ports and the longshore, clerk, and foreman workers who are employed at these ports. On May 20th and 22nd, the respective parties each ratified the agreement reached in February. According to the Federal Reserve, exports from West Coast ports dropped by 20.5 percent n the first quarter of 2015.
A companion bill was introduced in the Senate by Senator Cory Gardner (R-CO).
Text of the legislation is here. A section by section of the bill is here.
