The looming threat of industrial action and strikes at several U.S. west coast ports, where the dockers’ union, the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU), and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers are all in negotiations with the Pacific Maritime Association to renew the master contract, is starting to worry shippers around the globe.
While many industry experts have always thought an agreement could be reached relatively easily, some shippers including many UK wine retailers importing from Californian growers, are starting to get real concerned. This article from the UK-based Harpers.co.uk goes into detail about how one week's worth of a strike by any of the aforementioned unions could take months to resolve and get shipments of goods back on track.
Many in the wine industry have been planning for this possibility for months now, but if you haven't taking the time to prepare, now is the time.
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