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CNN Live Today
Cargo Hold
Aired October 01, 2002 - 11:16 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Televisions, toys, car parts, produce, just some of the items that are sitting now idle in ports along the West Coast today. A labor dispute between dock workers and shipping lines could soon hit home for consumers around the country.
CNN's Casey Wian is standing by now in Long Beach, California with that story.
Good morning, Casey?
CASEY WIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Leon.
The West Coast port shutdown has now entered its fourth day, and some 150 ships are stranded, up and down the coast at sea and at dock, unable to unload or load half million 40-foot cargo containers. The economic damage is mounting, a billion dollars a day. So far that number will increase the longer this shutdown lasts.
Already, some produce is rotting on the docks, businesses are unable to get merchandise, factories are unable to get parts.
Shippers say they will continue to keep the ports closed until the Longshoremen's Union either agrees to a temporary extension of the contract that expired on July 1st, or an entirely new contract. Shippers say that would prevent a work slowdown.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TOM EDWARDS, NEGOTIATOR FOR PACIFIC MARITIME ASSOC.: The union, in essence, is striking us. We have statistics up and down the West Coast, from Seattle to San Diego, indicating production on the coast trailed (ph) by 54 percent Sunday when we hoped work would return to normal. Based upon those type of job actions, what they are doing is striking while getting paid, and that is something that is not acceptable.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WIAN: The 5-month-old contract dispute centers around technology and shippers' desire to improve efficiency at the ports. The union, meanwhile, wants to protect jobs.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JAMES SPINOSA, PRESIDENT, ILWU: We're looking for in this side of bargaining are jobs, jobs that remain in the industry, jobs that are ours under the contract, and the employers have got to step up to the table if they want to see these West Coast ports resume their activities like they have in the past.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WIAN: Now, there's an interesting development in the port of Long Beach, overnight. A fire broke out in one of the stranded ships on the dock. That fire was in one of the containers. Of course, any time there is a labor dispute like this, people begin to wonder about arson. Authorities say there is no evidence of that, and in fact, union members dropped their picket signs and helped firemen put out that fire and unload the affected container from the ship.
Later today, union leaders are scheduled to meet with a federal mediator. They have not agreed to formal federal mediation, but just the fact that have agreed to talk to a federal mediator is seen as a hopeful sign.
Also earlier today, President Bush urged both sides to get together with a federal mediator to try to solve this problem. If they don't do that and are unable to do that, within several days, it is likely the Bush administration will step in and order both sides back to work to protect the U.S. economy -- Leon.
HARRIS: Speaking of the economy, as I understand it, Casey, there is a something of a silver lining, possibly, maybe a small one here for the airlines. Is that true?
WIAN: Boy, Leon, I'm not sure. You know, it's possible. Already shippers are beginning trying to figure out now ways to move their merchandise, and the airlines are obviously one way they are hoping to do that. It doesn't make sense, though, for most of the shippers. They have designed that the movement of their goods through these massive container ships, and it's not easy to ship all of the cargo onto airlines, especially all the cargo that is already out at sea, and there's a lot of it.
HARRIS: Good deal, Casey. Casey Wian, thanks Talk with you later on.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired October 1, 2002 - 11:16 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Televisions, toys, car parts, produce, just some of the items that are sitting now idle in ports along the West Coast today. A labor dispute between dock workers and shipping lines could soon hit home for consumers around the country.
CNN's Casey Wian is standing by now in Long Beach, California with that story.
Good morning, Casey?
CASEY WIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Leon.
The West Coast port shutdown has now entered its fourth day, and some 150 ships are stranded, up and down the coast at sea and at dock, unable to unload or load half million 40-foot cargo containers. The economic damage is mounting, a billion dollars a day. So far that number will increase the longer this shutdown lasts.
Already, some produce is rotting on the docks, businesses are unable to get merchandise, factories are unable to get parts.
Shippers say they will continue to keep the ports closed until the Longshoremen's Union either agrees to a temporary extension of the contract that expired on July 1st, or an entirely new contract. Shippers say that would prevent a work slowdown.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TOM EDWARDS, NEGOTIATOR FOR PACIFIC MARITIME ASSOC.: The union, in essence, is striking us. We have statistics up and down the West Coast, from Seattle to San Diego, indicating production on the coast trailed (ph) by 54 percent Sunday when we hoped work would return to normal. Based upon those type of job actions, what they are doing is striking while getting paid, and that is something that is not acceptable.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WIAN: The 5-month-old contract dispute centers around technology and shippers' desire to improve efficiency at the ports. The union, meanwhile, wants to protect jobs.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JAMES SPINOSA, PRESIDENT, ILWU: We're looking for in this side of bargaining are jobs, jobs that remain in the industry, jobs that are ours under the contract, and the employers have got to step up to the table if they want to see these West Coast ports resume their activities like they have in the past.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WIAN: Now, there's an interesting development in the port of Long Beach, overnight. A fire broke out in one of the stranded ships on the dock. That fire was in one of the containers. Of course, any time there is a labor dispute like this, people begin to wonder about arson. Authorities say there is no evidence of that, and in fact, union members dropped their picket signs and helped firemen put out that fire and unload the affected container from the ship.
Later today, union leaders are scheduled to meet with a federal mediator. They have not agreed to formal federal mediation, but just the fact that have agreed to talk to a federal mediator is seen as a hopeful sign.
Also earlier today, President Bush urged both sides to get together with a federal mediator to try to solve this problem. If they don't do that and are unable to do that, within several days, it is likely the Bush administration will step in and order both sides back to work to protect the U.S. economy -- Leon.
HARRIS: Speaking of the economy, as I understand it, Casey, there is a something of a silver lining, possibly, maybe a small one here for the airlines. Is that true?
WIAN: Boy, Leon, I'm not sure. You know, it's possible. Already shippers are beginning trying to figure out now ways to move their merchandise, and the airlines are obviously one way they are hoping to do that. It doesn't make sense, though, for most of the shippers. They have designed that the movement of their goods through these massive container ships, and it's not easy to ship all of the cargo onto airlines, especially all the cargo that is already out at sea, and there's a lot of it.
HARRIS: Good deal, Casey. Casey Wian, thanks Talk with you later on.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
