• Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • About Us
  • Supplier Directory
  • SCB YouTube
  • Login
  • Subscribe
  • Logout
  • My Profile

  • CORONAVIRUS
  • LOGISTICS
    • Air Cargo
    • All Logistics
    • Express/Small Shipments
    • Facility Location Planning
    • Freight Forwarding/Customs Brokerage
    • Global Gateways
    • Global Logistics
    • Last Mile Delivery
    • Logistics Outsourcing
    • LTL/Truckload Services
    • Ocean Transportation
    • Rail & Intermodal
    • Reverse Logistics
    • Service Parts Management
    • Transportation & Distribution
  • TECHNOLOGY
    • All Technology
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • Cloud & On-Demand Systems
    • Data Management (Big Data/IoT/Blockchain)
    • ERP & Enterprise Systems
    • Forecasting & Demand Planning
    • Global Trade Management
    • Inventory Planning/ Optimization
    • Product Lifecycle Management
    • Sales & Operations Planning
    • SC Finance & Revenue Management
    • SC Planning & Optimization
    • Sourcing/Procurement/SRM
    • Supply Chain Visibility
    • Transportation Management
  • GENERAL SCM
    • Business Strategy Alignment
    • Education & Professional Development
    • Global Supply Chain Management
    • Global Trade & Economics
    • HR & Labor Management
    • Quality & Metrics
    • Regulation & Compliance
    • SC Security & Risk Mgmt
    • Supply Chains in Crisis
    • Sustainability & Corporate Social Responsibility
  • WAREHOUSING
    • All Warehouse Services
    • Conveyors & Sortation
    • Lift Trucks & AGVs
    • Order Fulfillment
    • Packaging
    • RFID, Barcode, Mobility & Voice
    • Robotics
    • Warehouse Management Systems
  • INDUSTRIES
    • Aerospace & Defense
    • Apparel
    • Automotive
    • Chemicals & Energy
    • Consumer Packaged Goods
    • E-Commerce/Omni-Channel
    • Food & Beverage
    • Healthcare
    • High-Tech/Electronics
    • Industrial Manufacturing
    • Pharmaceutical/Biotech
    • Retail
  • REGIONS
    • Asia Pacific
    • Canada
    • China
    • Europe
    • Latin America
    • Middle East/Africa
    • North America
  • THINK TANK
  • WEBINARS
    • On-Demand Webinars
    • Upcoming Webinars
  • PODCASTS
  • VIDEOS
  • WHITEPAPERS
Home » Technology Central to Port Labor Negotiations

Technology Central to Port Labor Negotiations

September 19, 2007
MMH

As port terminal operators and shipping lines along the West Coast enter into contract negotiations with the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU), retailers are hoping history doesn't repeat itself. In 2002, a 10-day lockout of the union's 14,000 members caused a nightmare for supply chain managers across the country.
A bone of contention in those days was the desire of shipping lines and terminal operators to use automated materials handling systems to move cargo faster and more efficiently.
Mike Zachary, senior vice president of ports and maritime for Tompkins Associates, Raleigh, N.C., based supply chain consultants, expects technology to continue be a source of squabbles for years to come. However, he says, the 2002 debacle taught both sides some important lessons.
"Technology is here to stay," Zachary says. "The union has to accept technology because it was written into the 2002 labor agreement. There was 26% diversion from the West Coast ports in 2002 and they didn't get back 14% of it. Cargo is like the flow of water. It will travel the path of least resistance. Least resistance is better service time, better reliability, higher accuracy, lower cost. And that's what's scaring the west coast ports.
Zachary contends that the maritime industry has a lot of catching up to do when it comes to materials handling state of the art.
"The materials handling industry has been improving productivity, safety and efficiency for decades," he says. "Why can't the maritime industry catch up with it? It's the labor issues. We have to have more technology. From a security perspective the more visible the supply chain, the faster it moves, the safer it is from threat and theft. Ports are waking up to that fact kicking and screaming."
http://www.mmh.com

RELATED CONTENT

RELATED VIDEOS

Rail & Intermodal
KEYWORDS Rail & Intermodal
  • Related Articles

    Kronos Offers Workforce Central Suite to Manage Labor, Machine Utilization

    Retail Imports to Increase 3.5 Percent in May as Port Labor Talks Set to Start

MMH

More from this author

Wake up to live
“Supply Chains in Crisis”
updates and the latest Supply Chain News!

Subscribe to our Daily Newsletter

Timely, incisive articles delivered directly to your inbox.

Popular Stories

  • FedEx

    Can Rival Shippers Join Forces to Optimize Transportation?

    Logistics
  • How Mindnumbing Office Tasks Made One Man $360M

    Stop Using Spreadsheets to Manage Your Global Supply Chain

    Data Management (Big Data/IoT/Blockchain)
  • Three Steps to Managing Bonded Inventory Through Brexit Disruptions

    Why Warehouse Managers Need to Keep a Keen Ear for Workers’ Everyday Problems

    Last Mile Delivery
  • SCB_Q3_2022_COVERcrop.png

    Weathering the Storm Through Supply Chain Partnerships

    Logistics
  • Taiwan Helping Tech Firms That Choose Southeast Asia Over China

    Apple Asks Suppliers in Taiwan to Label Products as Made in China

    Global Logistics

Digital Edition

Scb august 2022 sm

100 Great Supply Chain Partners of 2022

VIEW THE LATEST ISSUE

Case Studies

  • Returns Management SaaS Saves Retail Giant $4 Million Monthly

  • 3PL Doubles Productivity With Robots to Fulfill Medical Supply Orders

  • E-Commerce Company Cuts Order Fulfillment Time by 40%

  • Fashion Retailer Halves Fulfillment Time With Omichannel Automation

  • Distributor Scales Business by Integrating Warehouse Automaton Software

Visit Our Sponsors

Yang Ming Alithya Barcoding
Blue Yonder BNSF Logistics CoEnterprise
Data Capture E2open Generix
Geodis GEP GreyOrange
Here Honeywell Intelligrated IFM
Inmar Keelvar Kinaxis
Korber Liberty SBF Locus Robotics
Logility Lucas Systems Nvidia
Old Dominion ORTEC Parsyl
PMMI QIMA Redwood Logistics
Ryder E-commerce by Whiplash Saddle Creek Logistics Schneider Dedicated
Setlog Holding AG Ship4WD Shipwell
Tecsys TGW Systems Thomson Reuters
Tive Trailer Bridge Vecna Robotics
Verity Verusen  
  • More From SCB
    • Featured Content
    • Video Library
    • Think Tank Blog
    • SupplyChainBrain Podcast
    • Whitepapers
    • On-Demand Webinars
    • Upcoming Webinars
  • Digital Offerings
    • Digital Issue
    • Subscribe
    • Manage Your Subscription
    • Newsletters
  • Resources
    • Events Calendar
    • SCB's Great Supply Chain Partners
    • Supplier Directory
    • Case Study Showcase
    • Supply Chain Innovation Awards
    • 100 Great Partners Form
  • SCB Corporate
    • Advertise on SCB.COM
    • About Us
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact Us
    • Data Sharing Opt-Out

All content copyright ©2022 Keller International Publishing Corp All rights reserved. No reproduction, transmission or display is permitted without the written permissions of Keller International Publishing Corp

Design, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing