Dock dispute: No ship unloading the next three days, as contract-talks stalemate continues

(WSB photo, taken this morning from Seacrest)
Tonight the status of the contract-talks stalemate between longshore workers and West Coast terminal operators is as murky as the Elliott Bay fog was this morning, when we photographed the Prague Express (still anchored in the bay per MarineTraffic.com, as are three bulk-cargo ships). After allowing offloading operations today, the Pacific Maritime Association‘s members say they will again close the docks for the next three days rather than pay weekend/holiday rates to International Longshore and Warehouse Union members whom they accuse of a deliberate slowdown. The ILWU, meantime, has made public a letter of support from three Seattle City Council members – Mike O’Brien, Nick Licata, and Kshama Sawant – calling the temporary shutdown a “destructive negotiating tactic.” The Wall Street Journal reports that a federal mediator had separate meetings with both sides today. Also today, as noted in our morning traffic coverage, trucks backed up on streets approaching Seattle terminals, including S. Spokane St. and East Marginal, following yesterday’s one-day shutdown.

Fred Bush February 14, 2015 (7:19 am)

Seattle might very well benefit from loosing port activity altogether, as did San Francisco. Mexico and the Chinese have an agreement to build a super deep water port, along with necessary infrastructure, which will rival and surpass all western US ports. I believe we continue to support our port with our property taxes, what do we get out of any of this? Is there a reason why this option is not up for serious discussion?