Harbor employers representatives and officers with the International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 63 Office Clerical Unit (OCU) reached agreement on Dec. 4 on terms of a new labor contract, ending the OCU's eight-day strike at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.

Though the OCU has limited membership, its strike was backed by the International Longshore and Warehouse Union whose 10,000 members refused to cross picket lines. The strike had closed almost all of the terminals at the two points, which forced freighters to anchor at sea or deliver to different ports.

Earlier, a coalition (that included the NCC) representing U.S. manufacturers, farmers, wholesalers, retailers and transportation/ logistics sent a letter to President Obama expressing deep concerns about the situation and urging the administration to use whatever means necessary to get labor back to work. The letter is on the NCC’s website at www.cotton.org/issues/2012/upload/westcoaststrikelet120412.pdf.