Contract negotiations between the International Longshoremen’s Association and U.S. Maritime Alliance on a new labor agreement for port workers along the East and Gulf Coasts have stalled, increasing the potential for an Oct. 1 strike. U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) President and CEO Dan Halstrom said that even though the majority of U.S. red meat exports flow out of the West Coast ports, a strike in the east and south would still have a significant impact on the industry.
While some traffic is being redirected to the West Coast, Halstrom said those ports could not absorb all of the shipments.
USMEF and other organizations are urging the White House and Congress to do all in their power to bring the two sides back to the bargaining table to avoid a port shutdown. For more information, visit usmef.org.
