The slowdown at West Coast Ports due a labor dispute has been hurting export shipments which aren’t occurring. It’s also hurting U.S. agriculture including pork. National Pork Producers Council President Dr. Howard Hill says the cost to the pork industry is mounting.
Hill says another major concern is that once the slowdown is resolved, getting back up to speed with export shipments will take a lot of time and that will continue to hammer the U.S. economy.
Hill says for President Obama to step in and enact the Taft Hartley Act, there would have to be a lockdown or a strike. Since neither of those has occurred as it’s termed a slowdown, when or if that would ever happen isn’t known. He adds that since the President is pro labor, whether or not he’d invoke Taft Hartley is in question.