Hoeven Joins Colleagues Calling for Successful Contract Negotiations at West Coast Ports

WASHINGTON – Senator John Hoeven today joined Senators Mike Braun (R-Ind.), Richard Burr (R-N.C.), James Risch (R-Idaho), and other Senate colleagues in calling on the Biden administration to support the successful resolution of negotiations prior to the July 1, 2022, expiration date of labor contracts at America’s West Coast ports. In the letter, the Senators urged the President to use the tools available and to work with both the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) and the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA) to guarantee contract negotiations are successfully completed. The Senators expressed concerns that failing to come to agreement will result in additional supply chain disruptions, exacerbated freight congestion, and further harm to manufacturing in the United States.

“Any delays caused by failed negotiations will have a drastic cost and impact on our nation’s supply chain,” wrote the senators. “This cost will be felt by not only retailers and others that rely on ports for their business, but also by millions of American workers, farmers, and ranchers, who may face short-term shutdowns at their factories or barriers to shipping their products to market.”

The letter was also signed by Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Mitt Romney (R-Utah), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), John Boozman (R-Ark.), John Thune (R-S.D.), Todd Young (R-Ind.), Roger Marshall (R-Kans.), Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Bill Cassidy (R-La.).

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