SOUTH Korea`s largest container carrier, Hanjin Shipping, has resumed service at the Port of Portland after staying way from more than a month because of slowdown by the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) at the container terminal.
Hanjin suspended its regularly scheduled service to Portland in June after a dispute between the ILWU and the operator of the port`s container terminal resulted in slowdowns over which union members should do two full time jobs of servicing reefer boxes.
The ILWU was upset that jobs involving the plugging, unplugging and monitoring of refrigerated containers at Terminal 6 were performed by members of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW). The ILWU, which staffs cargo-handling operations at west coast ports, charged that the reefer work falls under its jurisdiction.
Long lines of trucks began to form at Terminal 6, Portland`s only container terminal, run by Manila`s International Container Terminals Inc. The ILWU denied that longshoremen were engaging in slowdowns, but Hanjin rerouted its vessels to Seattle when productivity in Portland dropped.
In early July, the ILWU, the IBEW, terminal operator ICTSI and the port authority agreed that the ILWU would perform the reefer work until the National Labour Relations Board decides the jurisdictional issue. That decision could be weeks if not months away.
Hanjin`s service was expected to resume with the arrival of the Hanjin Mundra on 4 August. Sam Ruda, the port`s chief commercial officer, said the return of the Hanjin service will "certainly assist the process of restoring confidence for all industry stakeholders."
Other shipping lines including Hapag-Lloyd, Hamburg Sud and Westwood Shipping Line have maintained their services to Portland.