We certainly hoped we would not need to make this update.

As a refresher, back in October a tentative agreement was made with the East Coast Longshoreman and the Carrier group who use the ports.  After a brief strike action of 5 working days, the longshoreman returned to work after gaining agreement regarding compensation and benefits.  The remaining issue was the use of automation in the ports.  This issue remains unresolved.  The parties are scheduled to meet on January 7th.   The current temporary agreement is set to expire on January 15th.  Hopefully, the deadline will motivate the parties!

After discussions with the carriers we work with, we believe that there will be a brief strike again.  We believe it will resolve quickly. Obviously, a prolonged strike would be very difficult to manage.

We have discussed options with the carriers we use to transport cargo and currently we understand what their plans are. Our team will be in touch for any specific planning which may be required.

Please feel free to contact us if you have specific question.

January 7, 2025