In a positive sign that the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) and the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA) are finding common ground, comes the July 26th announcement that the two sides “… have reached a tentative agreement on health benefits, subject to other issues in the negotiations.”

There’s a controversy over California nuts. Specifically, nuts exported through California ports. Are the export nut totals up or down? Are the nut exports being diverted to other ports as has been suggested by media reports?

Republican Congressman John Katko has urged immediate action in authorizing a $52 billion federal investment in U.S. semiconductor manufacturing.

“AB 5 is taking our freedom away. This is supposed to be a free country.” Port of Oakland trucker

Danny Wan, Executive Director, Port of Oakland warned that a protest by harbor truckers that has shut down Port of Oakland terminal operations: “will damage all the businesses operating at the ports and cause California ports to further suffer market share losses to competing ports.”

With the turmoil of the last few years, companies in every link of the supply chain went into crisis mode.

As a result of cutbacks in sailings to the Port of Oakland, Blue Diamond Almond Growers are supporting two new rail services transporting almond exports from Central California to the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.

This year’s conference given the challenges the industry faces was aptly titled “The Way Forward” and a solid lineup of speakers were put in place to help show a full-house of 150 plus attendees the path ahead.

The head of the AFL-CIO Transportation Trades Department (TTD) says a coalition of labor unions and shippers in agriculture, energy and chemicals supports giving the Surface Transportation Board stronger powers to regulate the nation’s railroads

The Harbor Truck Association (HTA) reported that on July 13th, harbor truckers were protesting at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach following the U.S. Supreme Court decision not to challenge California’s Assembly Bill 5 (AB5) requiring owner/ operator truck drivers be treated as employees.