A Seat at the Table?

I hope your holiday season has been filled with many blessings and that the new year has gotten off to a great start. We are excited to begin our 160th year of personal service although not too happy about the pending strike of course.

Negotiations between the ILA and USMX are scheduled to resume on Tuesday the 7th with automation being the major sticking point. The deadline to reach an agreement remains Wednesday the 15th with the union setting themselves up again for a potential 6-day weekend (if not longer) as Martin Luther King Jr. Day is on Monday the 20th.

I imagine that negotiation table will bear more of a resemblance to this..

...than to what Alice experienced in Wonderland. Then again it is likely that the hatter will not be the only person that ends up being mad, but all of us as we bear the brunt of higher ocean freight rates and terminal charges to make up for whatever results from the negotiations.

Speaking of higher rates, be sure to book your shipments out of China and much of Asia well in advance. Despite a soft market, freight rates will continue to increase and space will be an issue as we approach the start of the Lunar New Year on Wednesday, January 29th. Especially as importers try to get product shipped before any potential new tariffs when the new administration enters office.

Let's hope that somehow both sides of the table channel the positive energy that Stephen Covey brought to this world and negotiate with The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People in mind.

We will continue to keep you updated on these and other important industry topics.