Longshoremen strike at New Jersey ports

It was unclear if energy sector workers in the ports were participating in the walkout.

All terminals remained closed as of Friday, according to the Logistics Planning website. The International Longshoremen’s Association told members to start returning to work around 7 p.m. Friday as it continues working on their concerns, said union spokesman James McNamara. However, if an agreement to resume work isn’t reached at that time, the association intends to seek a federal court injunction to force the longshoremen back on the job.

Port Authority officials provided an update soon afterward, stating that “due to the current work stoppage in the port, no new trucks will be allowed to queue on port roadways”.

“In the meantime, Port Authority Police are actively working to ensure public safety for all the stakeholders at the port”, he said. Hundreds of trucks were idled near and around the gates and terminals as port authorities worked to clear the congestion.

“A lot of the longshoremen don’t even seem to know what this is about and appear angry about it”, the official said. “They’ve had enough, they told me they’re taking this action to demonstrate their displeasure”.

A text message from Port Authority’s mobile alert system at 10:42 am EST warned of “potential for heavy volume on all port roads”.

The New York-New Jersey port handles more than $200 billion worth of cargo annually.

The walkout affects several terminals, including Port Newark and terminals in Elizabeth and Bayonne, New Jersey; and the New York City borough of Staten Island.

JOC.com reports that John Nardi, president of the New York Shipping Association said, “We have absolutely no indication what the reason is for this action”.

An emergency meeting between the union and management was underway on Friday afternoon, Fedorko said.

The Port of NY and New Jersey is the busiest on the East Coast, ranking third nationally after the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, California.

The move idled container operations at the major East Coast port, and comes on the heels of a four-day shutdown from Winter Storm Jonas and a three-day weekend celebrating the Martin Luther King holiday.