Shipping company Pasha Hawaii says theres been a work stoppage at Honolulu Harbor by its stevedores. <\/p>\n
But the company tells us it has chartered special barges to ease concerns over shipments to the neighbor islands. <\/p>\n
The container ship Pacific Horizon arrived from the mainland Wednesdayand satidle at Pier 51. None of the goods wereunloaded. <\/p>\n
A crew was supposed to start unloading it at 6 p.m. Wednesday, but no one showed up. The morning shift did the same thing. <\/p>\n
Late Thursday afternoon, we got word from the companys spokeswoman that workers arrived at around 2:30 p.m. <\/p>\n
The ship carries all types of household goods, produce, and meats to major retailers.The company issued a statement saying container availability and barge connections will be delayed due to labor shortages. <\/p>\n
Weve learned Costco Wholesale is one of the biggest companies shipping its goods from the West Coast to Hawaii aboard Pashas ships, so any work stoppage at our ports is a concern for the big-box retailer, as well as for the truck drivers who regularly bring their goods here. <\/p>\n
Nothing is moving in the pier, nothings coming out. The stores have got tobe stocked somehow, said truck driver Clyde Peters. <\/p>\n
Management at theCostco inIwilei saysits not a problem so far for the stores on Oahu, but it could create some problems for neighbor island stores. <\/p>\n
Mike Hansen, president of the Hawaii Shippers Council, says a one-day delay at Honolulu ports means a two- to three-day delay for the neighbor islands. Once the goods are unloaded in Honolulu, they are then taken to a barge operated by Young Brothers to the neighbor island ports, and those barges have set schedules of departures. <\/p>\n
If theres been a delay and they miss the Young Brothers barge sailing to a neighbor island port, then they have to wait to until the next sailing, and so therell be a delay of a day, two days, three days depending upon which island port youre talking about, Hansen explained. <\/p>\n
We checked with the Costco stores on Kauai, Maui, and Hawaii Island, buthave not heard back from management. <\/p>\n
Pasha says it has secured special charter barges to the neighbor island ports to help offset the delays. <\/p>\n
Hansensaysits rare for unionized dock workers to organize a work stoppage unless they were negotiating for a new contract. The union ILWU and the maritime companies agreed on a five-year contract two years ago.Hansensaysthe work stoppage is a violation of the contract, so the company could take the union to arbitration to recoverrevenues lost. <\/p>\n
We went to the union to find out why the workers did not show up, and were told no one was available to talk. <\/p>\n
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See the article here: <\/p>\n
Work stoppage at Honolulu Harbor delays shipments to neighbor islands - KHON2<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Shipping company Pasha Hawaii says theres been a work stoppage at Honolulu Harbor by its stevedores. But the company tells us it has chartered special barges to ease concerns over shipments to the neighbor islands Continue reading