Statement from Port of Long Beach Chief Executive Jon Slangerup on today’s announcement of a tentative contract agreement for West Coast dock work between the International Longshore and Warehouse Union and the Pacific Maritime Association: “The Port of Long Beach welcomes the tentative contract agreement announced today and is especially grateful to President Obama, Labor Secretary Thomas Perez and Federal Mediator Scot Beckenbaugh whose leadership and direct involvement were key in reaching this pact. We thank the ILWU and PMA and look forward to everyone getting back to business as usual starting immediately. We know that the marine terminal operators, longshore workers, truckers, railroads and others will be extremely busy as they work to clear out the massive backlog of cargo at all of the West Coast ports, including Long Beach. All of us will be working together to make this happen as soon as possible, but once again, we are extremely pleased with today’s news.” The Port of Long Beach is one of the world’s premier seaports, a gateway for trans-Pacific trade and a trailblazer in goods movement and environmental stewardship. With 140 shipping lines connecting Long Beach to 217 seaports, the Port handles $180 billion in trade annually, supporting hundreds of thousands of Southern California jobs.