Joseph Bonney, Senior Editor | May 25, 2012 10:28AM EDT
Labor slowdowns at the Port of New York and New Jersey have caused lengthy delays for trucks at Port Newark-Elizabeth terminals in advance of the Memorial Day weekend.
“Drivers have had to wait as long as six or seven hours to get into the terminals,” said Dick Jones, executive director of the Association of Bi-State Motor Carriers. “It’s causing problems with demurrage and per-diem charges.”
The slowdowns began Wednesday and, according to several sources, were triggered by the firing of two International Longshoremen’s Association maintenance and repair workers at APM Terminals.
In the wake of the firings, ILA workers reportedly were insisting on thorough inspections of intermodal equipment at port terminals. The slowdowns aggravated delays that normally accompany heavy traffic before a holiday weekend.
APM Terminals issued a notice to customers saying driver processing at its gates was slow. “We will take whatever actions necessary to ensure we service our impacted customers. Drivers are being processed as quickly as possible to minimize delays,” the notice said.
The ILA and New York Shipping Association were holding meetings Friday morning to resolve the dispute.
Contact Joseph Bonney at jbonney@joc.com. Follow him on Twitter @josephbonney.
