TOTE, ILWU RESTORE OCEAN SHIPPING SERVICES TO ALASKA
Totem Ocean Trailer Express and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 23 have reached an agreement to restore ocean shipping to Alaska.
TOTE is not a member of the Pacific Maritime Association and leases its own terminal in Tacoma, Wash. However, the carrier’s stevedore, Stevedoring Services of America, is a member of PMA and is part of the lockout.
The Federal Way, Wash.-based carrier came under pressure from Alaskan Governor Tony Knowles, in addition to congressmen from both Alaska and Washington to work with the ILWU to restore cargo service to Alaska.
“The ILWU has informed us that they are willing to continue loading and unloading cargo for Alaska on your vessels,” said Reps. Adam Smith, D-Wash.; Richard Larsen, D-Wash.; Norm Dicks, D-Wash.; and Brian Baird, D-Wash., in a letter to TOTE President and Chief Executive Officer Bob Magee on Oct. 3. “Not only would this be critical for Alaska consumers, who rely on cargo shipped from the West Coast ports for groceries and other essential goods, but it is also essential for our many military bases in Alaska.”
“The lockout is seriously disrupting the movement of groceries, other essential consumer goods, and military supplies to Alaska,” said Sens. Ted Stevens, R-Alaska, and Frank Murkowski, R-Alaska; and Rep. Don Young, R-Alaska, in another letter to TOTE on Oct. 2. “Accordingly, we request and strongly urge you to work directly with ILWU to fulfill your duties to your customers in Alaska during this lockout period.”
Two-thirds of Alaska-bound freight, or about 2,000 40-foot containers a week, move from Tacoma to Anchorage by ship. The rest moves on either barges or over the Alcan highway. Many shippers scrambled to move their cargo to Alaska over the Alcan highway when the lockout began, Magee said.
With the agreement reached between TOTE and ILWU Local 23, ocean freight transport to Alaska will resume late Friday, Oct. 4. “We trust that the union will keep its word to the governor (Knowles) that it will not engage in slowdowns,” said Joe Weber, Pacific Northwest manager for the PMA.
Hawaiian Gov. Benjamin Cayetano has similarly requested that the PMA, ILWU and ocean carriers restore ocean shipping to Hawaii. No word has been received from the ILWU granting this request.