The Port of Seattle has shut down after the International Longshore and Warehouse Union refused to send workers to container terminals. Other ports along the West Coast, such as Los Angeles, Long Beach, and Oakland, have also experienced port closures and port slowdowns. These ports have a major role in the exports of agricultural goods and refrigerated goods, as well as the import of automobiles. The port stoppages and slowdowns are negatively impacting trade relationships with other countries. The Port of Seattle will reopen once the International Longshore and Warehouse Union reaches a bargaining agreement with the Pacific Maritime Association that they deem is “fair and equitable and represents the hard work and contributions of its members toward the ongoing success of the multibillion-dollar shipping industry.”
See "Contract Bargaining between the International Longshore and Warehouse Union and the Pacific Maritime Association results in the stoppage of the Port of Seattle ", Lori Ann LaRocco , CNBC, June 12, 2023