The Port of Houston Authority said in a press release Wednesday that it has contingency plans in place should a work stoppage occur on December 30 as a result of the International Longshoremen's Association (ILA) and the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX) not reaching agreement in their Master Contract negotiations.
The Port Authority's Barbours Cut and Bayport container terminals would be impacted by a work stoppage. Other lines of cargo (breakbulk, petrochemical, etc.) are expected to be delivered.
Currently, the Port Authority said that it is coordinating with US Customs and Border Protection to provide for extended work hours on December 26, 27 and 28 at both container terminals to accommodate customers needing to clear cargo from the terminals in advance of the anticipated labor action. If agreement is not reached prior to the above-mentioned deadline, the PHA's container terminals will be closed until the parties reach resolution at the national level.
According to the West Gulf Maritime Association, more than 1,000 ILA members work on Port of Houston wharves on any given day. The Port Authority employs a limited number of ILA workers - between 80 and 150 employees working the container terminals at any given time.
The Port of Houston is the largest container port in Texas, handling 96 percent of waterborne containers in the state, and leads the region, handling nearly 70 percent of the container cargo in the US Gulf. The Port of Houston is also the nation's leader in exports and foreign waterborne tonnage.