The potential impact of a U.S. West Coast port lockout on intermodal service - should it come to that - varies by expert but analysts agree that the railroads will act fast and decisively if it does occur.

A new stage of contract negotiations between the International Longshore and Warehouse Union and Pacific Maritime Association launched today as the negotiations moved under the auspices of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service.

Contract negotiations resumed today between the International Longshore and Warehouse Union and the Pacific Maritime Association after the holiday recess, but it appears that no significant progress will be made until both parties agree to compromise on the controversial issue of chassis maintenance and repair.

The Port of Oakland and its terminal operators are chipping away at their cargo backlog by running Saturday and Sunday gates, and the weekend gate program could remain in effect for another month.

Vessels on Monday continued to back up at anchor at the Port of Oakland and truck turn times were three hours or longer now that the International Longshore and Warehouse Union has chosen the Northern California port as its latest target for work slowdowns on the West Coast.

With the year coming to a close with no end in sight to the delays at West Coast ports, pressure is building for the federal government to intervene in stalled negotiations between longshoremen and employers that are blamed for at least of the congestion.

With its larger, consolidated terminals handling larger volumes from bigger ship calls, the Port of Oakland is considering officially expanding its gate hours for the first time, its head said today.

The heads of the two largest U.S. ports said it is time for President Obama to pressure the International Longshore and Warehouse Union and the Pacific Maritime Association to end the contract impasse that is crippling West Coast ports and is threatening the nation’s economy.

Containers continued to pile up at U.S. West Coast ports over the Thanksgiving weekend as negotiators for the International Longshore and Warehouse Union and Pacific Maritime Association met separately today to prepare for face-to-face negotiations on Tuesday.

Containerized import volume through the Port of Oakland jumped 9.17 percent in October as the port gained at the expense of the congested ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.

The International Longshore and Warehouse Union and the Pacific Maritime Association will not have a contract settlement until December at the earliest because the ILWU is suspending negotiations on coastwide issues until Dec. 2, according to the employers’ organization.

The Port of Oakland is closed today following the death Wednesday night of a longshoreman in Benicia, a breakbulk and bulk port on the San Francisco Bay.

West Coast ports are preparing for a busy weekend, with dozens of vessels scheduled to arrive over the next three days.

Evergreen is dropping Los Angeles and Oakland port calls from a westbound U.S. East Coast to North Asia service due to berthing delays tied to the congestion at U.S. West Coast ports, the carrier said Friday.

Dockworkers at Los Angeles-Long Beach and Seattle-Tacoma picked up their productivity a bit this weekend, but the situation turned bad in Oakland when members of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union walked off their jobs for three consecutive shifts.