by Julia Pierrepont III
LOS ANGELES, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- Concerns about slowdowns and even shutdowns at the key Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach mounted as a sharp uptick of COVID-19 cases amongst the port's dockworkers were reported, which caused a rash of related absences from work.
"The Trade War was the first challenge to the port in 2020, causing great uncertainty, then the virus hit, causing radical uncertainty," Port of Long Beach's Executive Director Mario Cordero told Xinhua on Monday.
As COVID-19 cases mount at the ports, "We've got more cargo than we do skilled labor," revealed Eugene Seroka, Executive Director of the Port of Los Angeles. "We are told 1,800 workers are not going on the job due to Covid right now. That can include those who are isolating through contact tracing or awaiting test results. Or maybe those who fear ... going on the job when a lot of people are sick."
As a consequence, the twin ports' executives are petitioning public health and governmental officials to prioritize vaccines for their essential workers to keep the lifeblood of the nation flowing through the ports.
The Port of Long Beach and the Port of Los Angeles, known as POLB and POLA in logistic industry, both located in the San Pedro Bay of Southern California, handle approximately 40 percent of all containerized imports and 30 percent exports for the United States.
They pointed out that dockworkers had been unable to leave their posts to go into protective lockdown like workers in many other industries.
"The men and women on the waterfront have continued their work all during the pandemic, despite the danger. Shelter-in-place has not been possible. There is no tele-commuting here," Cordero told Xinhua.
Cordero said the overwhelming priority for vaccinations must still be the medical community, fire and police, "But once the first responders have been taken care of, we are advocating for vaccines for the POLB and POLA."
"Our workers are all essential workers and vital to maintaining our regional and national economy," he asserted.
According to data released by the Port of Los Angeles in 2019, cargo through San Pedro Bay Ports, accounting for nearly half of all seaborne trade between the United States and China, generated over 310 billion U.S. dollars annually, supported roughly 3 million jobs across the country, and reached every one of 435 Congressional districts.
A letter, jointly signed by three presidents of Southern California International Longshoreman Workers Union locals (ILWU) last week, warned of ongoing outbreaks reported by their workers via a portal operated jointly by the ILWU and the terminal employers' Pacific Maritime at the port complex.
They reported that almost 700 workers had been infected with COVID-19, resulting in 12 fatalities as of last week.
"My heart goes out to the dockworkers," said Los Angeles County Health Department director Barbara Ferrer at a news conference. "I've heard from many of them that there have been a lot of outbreaks. There is a lot of fear."
And the specter of a possible shutdown is not groundless as the port operations are disrupted by the impact of pandemic. As of last week, 45 vessels were bottlenecked outside the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, unable to unload, part of a pattern of delays that are negatively impacting the normally smooth operations of the twin port complex.
Cordero expressed his concern about the severe economic consequences - both regionally and nationally - that a shutdown or even a significant slowdown would create.
With Southern California's twin ports providing 2.9 million jobs throughout the United States, handling 73 percent of California's market share and 30 percent of the nation's market share, Cordero noted, "The economic consequences of a slowdown in our major port complex could be catastrophic."
As the current Chairman of the Washington DC-based American Association of Port Authorities (AAP) that represents all American ports, Cordero is also concerned for all the wellbeing of them all.
"Covid slowdowns are a concern for every gateway port throughout the nation. Our ports are absolutely essential to our country's economy. We don't want to risk them having any impediments," he said.
To help make their case for dockworker vaccines, Port Executives reached out to their Congressional representatives, who also share their urgency.
"Without immediate action, terminals at the largest port complex in America may face the very real danger of terminal shutdowns," said Congressman Alan Lowenthal from Long Beach and Congresswomen Nanette Diaz Barragan from San Pedro in a letter last week to California and Los Angeles County health officials, lobbying for the vaccines.
"This would be disastrous not only for the communities of the South Bay, but also the entire nation which relies upon the vital flow of goods through these ports," the letter asserted.
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia also urged California Governor Gavin Newsom and the state's Health and Human Services Secretary, Mark Ghaly, to undertake the vaccination of the Ports' combined 18,000 of dockworkers, "as soon as possible."
Their letter also asserted that the ports are vital and "deemed critical infrastructure for national security purposes and medical supplies for the pandemic," with much of the nation's PPEs flowing through the Los Angeles and Long Beach Port Complex. Enditem