Dear Valued Customer, 

Contract negotiations for the International Longshore & Warehouse Union (ILWU), the labor union responsible for West Coast port operations, are slated to begin this spring in the hopes of reaching an agreement in time for the July 1, 2022 deadline.

We anticipate that this year’s negotiation will result in either a labor strike or slowdowns at the southern California ports and other U.S. and Canadian west coast ports. This action, on top of the current longstanding port congestion, vessel backlogs, equipment and labor shortages, could result in highly significant delays to your shipments.

Therefore, to minimize the potential impact of this situation and safeguard your supply chain against unprecedented disruptions, we highly recommend that all our clients immediately begin working with their logistics consultants to plan alternative solutions. Doing so will help ensure that your shipments will not get caught up in this impending situation.

Please feel free to contact your sales or customer service representative if you have any questions.

Sincerely yours, 

OEC Group