Willson International Limited

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The ILA strike is over. What should shippers prioritize now? Supply Chain Dive While the strike was short-lived, it could take weeks to clear cargo backlogs and bring ports back to normal operations. Shippers are still facing cargo backlogs and freight constraints. If you need help with a workaround, you can reach us at logsitics@willsonintl.com or 1 866 945 5378 After a three-day strike disrupted East and Gulf Coast port operations last week, the ILA and United States Maritime Alliance reached a tentative wage deal and agreed to extend their master contract until Jan. 15, 2025. The extension gives both parties some time to negotiate pending issues but if a master contract is not renewed by then, the union could go on strike again. Shippers, however, are still dealing with lingering impacts from some of the terminal closures that took place during the work stoppage. It will likely take most of October to get port operations back to normal due to the backlog of cargo and vessels caused by the strike, Vespucci Maritime Partner and CEO Lars Jensen wrote in an Oct. 7 LinkedIn post. “This will also create some ripples whereby we will see a temporary decline in capacity offered from Europe to North America,” Jensen wrote. Before the union went on strike, some shippers diverted cargo to the West Coast and frontloaded goods to mitigate any potential impact to their supply chain operations. At the start of the strike, West Coast rail operations were strained due to high inland point intermodal volumes, according to ITS Logistics. We asked six experts what impacts shippers are facing and what they need to focus on to better manage their freight and supply chains.  Click on the link to read what the six experts said. https://lnkd.in/gEJfZywg #Portstrike #workarounds #cargobacklogs #logisticssolutions Faiz Siddiqi Claudia Ribeiro, MBA, CIFFA

Norfolk Southern line into Asheville, N.C., to be closed at least three months. Trains.com ATLANTA — Norfolk Southern says its line between Asheville, N.C., and Newport, Tenn. — heavily damaged by Hurricane Helene — will be out of service until at least late January, while assessment of the route between Ashville and Old Fort, N.C., is ongoing. In the area hardest hit in late September, on the AS Line between Salisbury, N.C., and Morristown, Tenn., assessments have determined that approximately 21,500 feet of track have been washed out, with more than 50,000 feet damaged by scour and another 15,000 feet of fill failure and slides. Multiple bridges have also been damaged. The segments between Morristown and Newport, and between Salisbury and Old Fort, have been reopened even though public roadways remained unavailable in some areas. The remote nature and mountain topography, coupled with conditions following the storm and resulting flooding, have made it difficult to assess damage in the areas around Asheville and over Black Mountain, the railroad says. #NorfolkSouthern #HurricaneHelene #NorthCarolina #Tennessee #railtransportation #shipping https://lnkd.in/ggKc6YMs

UPDATE : LABOUR RELATIONS BETWEEN MEA AND THE LONGSHORE WORKERS UNION Most recent update: October 10, 2024   STATUS OF THE SITUATION : OVERTIME STRIKE BEGINS During this partial strike of indefinite duration, all Port of Montreal terminals will remain open, but Port of Montreal longshoremen will not be working overtime as part of their duties. This could result in processing delays and a backlog of containers waiting to be handled. At present, around ten ships expected at the port could be affected by these pressure tactics, notably at the following terminals and handling companies: Cast Maisonneuve Racine Viau Logistec terminals in Montreal and Contrecœur (dry bulk) CanEst Lantic The following are not affected by this situation: Liquid bulk handling, Oceanex service (Bickerdike terminal) grain terminal (Viterra) The Montreal Port Authority remains concerned about the impact of pressure tactics on the logistics chain and on the supply of goods and commodities for businesses and the public. Rest assured that our teams are actively working to minimize the impact of disruptions and ensure the smooth running of port activities. We will continue to keep you informed of developments via our newsletter and this web page. If you have any questions, please contact your Port representative or market@port-montreal.com. #portofmontreal #overtimestrike #containershipping Faiz Siddiqi Claudia Ribeiro, MBA, CIFFA https://lnkd.in/ezCpGeah

10 ports remain closed in Hurricane Milton’s aftermath. SeaPort Manatee and Port Tampa Bay remain under port condition “Zulu” set by U.S. Coast Guard. Ten ports, including two of Florida’s key commercial ports along the Gulf Coast, remained closed Thursday in the wake of devastation caused by Hurricane Milton. Port Tampa Bay and SeaPort Manatee were closed to commercial vessels after the U.S. Coast Guard set port condition “Zulu” on Tuesday. Officials for Port Tampa Bay said they are performing preliminary assessments on the port’s landside and seaside operations. “Our port is currently without power. Some damage was observed on numerous buildings but there has been no significant damage to docks so far. The port is accessible through the main gates. Access to fuel terminals is clear, but awaiting individual facility assessments,” port spokeswoman Lisa Wolf-Chason told FreightWaves in an email. #Florida #ports #HurricaneMilton #Tampa #GulfCoast https://lnkd.in/ert-Bfpe

UPDATE : LABOUR RELATIONS BETWEEN MEA AND THE LONGSHORE WORKERS UNION Please be advised that the Longshoremen's Union of the Port of Montreal (CUPE 375) has filed a notice of overtime strike with the Maritime Employers Association (MEA). The strike will begin at 7 a.m. on Thursday, October 10, 2024, and will last indefinitely. All Port of Montreal terminals will remain in operation, and cargo can be picked up or dropped off as usual, but as of Thursday morning, no overtime will be worked by longshoremen at the Port. This could mean delays in processing and a possible accumulation of containers on the ground awaiting handling. Rest assured that our teams are actively working to minimize the impact of disruptions and ensure the smooth running of port activities. We will continue to keep you informed of developments via our newsletter and this web page. If you have any questions, please contact your Port representative or market@port-montreal.com. #portofmontreal #strikenotice #containershipping #imports #exports https://lnkd.in/ezCpGeah

Port of Montreal longshoremen to refuse overtime.The MEA responds. The longshoremen's union at the Port of Montreal is announcing further pressure tactics: they will refuse to work overtime from 7 a.m. on Thursday for an indefinite period. A mediation session between the parties was held last Friday in the presence of two federal mediators after the longshoremen resumed their activities. Some 320 of them had been on partial strike for three days, from Monday to Thursday, at Termont's Viau and Maisonneuve terminals. Management of working hours and work-life balance were among the main issues in dispute. MEA Negotiations Update In response to the announcement from the Port of Montreal longshoremen’s union, the Maritime Employers Association said in an update that the complete cessation of overtime has a significant impact on deployed crews and the tasks required for operations.   As a result, the MEA has decided that employees assigned to shifts with incomplete crews will not be paid, saying that incomplete shifts will cause imminent slow downs or even halt operations at the port.   The MEA has formally asked the union to withdraw this strike notice. #PortofMontreal #longshoremenstrike #containershipping https://lnkd.in/gD9daW9x

The union representing Montreal dockworkers has ended a three-day strike at two terminals as scheduled, but the potential remains for more job action and jammed supply chains in the coming weeks. The Maritime Employers Association confirmed that the work stoppage came to an end at 7 a.m. on Thursday at the Viau and Maisonneuve terminals, which handle more than 40 per cent of container traffic at the country's second-largest port. The two sides have not met all week, with the union claiming that management refused a sit-down convened by federal mediators on Thursday. "What is this employer up to? It denounces the effect of a partial strike on the economy and on the supply chain, but it doesn't deign to come to the negotiating table to find solutions," said Michel Murray, a spokesman for the union local, affiliated with the Canadian Union of Public Employees. #Montreal #portstrike #MEA #workstoppage https://lnkd.in/g9vJzRyh

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Agreement reached to end US port strike – but supply chains will take weeks to recover. From the American Journal of Transportation. A backlog of more than 40 ships waiting to offload billions of dollars of cargo means the pain is not yet over. The International Longshoremen’s Association and the United States Maritime Alliance reached a tentative agreement on wages while also extending the Master Contract until 15 January 2025 to allow further negotiations, in particular around automation at ports. The strike lasted three days and at 5am Friday October 4, 44 ships were queuing to enter affected ports and more than 120 en route. Closing all ports on the US East Coast and Gulf Coast – even for just three days – comes with severe consequences. We must now wait to see how quickly the returning workers are able and willing to deal with the huge backlog of ships waiting to offload thousands of containers carrying billions of dollars of goods. #USA #portstrike #supplychaindisruption #logisticssolutions https://lnkd.in/eSjjqve5