As the slowdowns continue at the Ports of Seattle and Tacoma, workers are being sent home, agriculture containers full of food are at risk of rotting and truck drivers are at a standstill, losing money as the hours tick by. The International Longshore and Warehouse Union and Pacific Maritime Association, which represents terminal operators and shipping lines, have been in contract negotiations since May to replace a six-year agreement that ran out July 1. But, over the weekend, local unions in Tacoma and Seattle reduced container movement at the Ports of Seattle and Tacoma terminals from 25 to 35 containers per hour to 10 to 18 per hour, creating a backlog, said Wade Gates, spokesman for the Pacific Maritime Association.
