US trade bodies urge Obama to resolve port dispute

05 Dec '12

2 min read

The National Retail Federation and a diverse coalition of manufacturers, farmers, wholesalers, retailers and transportation organizations today sent a letter to President Obama to express their concern about the ongoing labor disruption at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.

Striking clerical workers have been picketing many of the port terminals for the past week, effectively shutting down the ports.

“The ongoing labor situation affects a multitude of industries and businesses, including retail,” said NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay. “From farmers to factory workers, the ongoing port disruption is causing significant harm to the economy and needs to be resolved now. We once again urge the Administration to engage on this national economic emsergency.”

“The retail community needs leadership from policymakers in Washington,” said Shay. “We can’t sit by idly as shipment after shipment remains unloaded. Store shelves could soon see shortages of popular holiday gifts and production lines could soon shut down as imports and exports are disrupted. We need immediate intervention now.”

As the world’s largest retail trade association and the voice of retail worldwide, NRF represents retailers of all types and sizes, including chain restaurants and industry partners, from the United States and more than 45 countries abroad.

Retailers operate more than 3.6 million U.S. establishments that support one in four U.S. jobs – 42 million working Americans. Contributing $2.5 trillion to annual GDP, retail is a daily barometer for the nation’s economy.

NRF’s Retail Means Jobs campaign emphasizes the economic importance of retail and encourages policymakers to support a Jobs, Innovation and Consumer Value Agenda aimed at boosting economic growth and job creation.

National Retail Federation

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