2002 West Coast Port Lockout

The lockout showed how quickly a West Coast port stoppage ripples through U.S. supply chains, and its effects lasted far longer than 11 days. Ships queued offshore, retailers ran short of holiday goods and manufacturers relying on just-in-time parts slowed production, with cost estimates of $1 billion or more per day. Clearing the backlog took weeks after the ports reopened. The dispute centered on new technology and control of jobs, and President George W. Bush obtained a court order under the Taft-Hartley Act to end it. Since then many importers spread volume across East and Gulf Coast ports and pull inventory forward before labor contracts expire.

• Peak SeasonThe busiest stretch of the year for orders
• Safety StockExtra stock that covers demand and lead time swings
• Port of EntryWhere imports clear US customs

• 1971 to 1972 ILWU Strike1971–1972 · Dockworkers shut West Coast ports over container jobs
• 1934 West Coast Waterfront Strike1934 · A port strike leads to hiring halls with union dispatch
• 2014-2015 West Coast Port Slowdown2014–2015 · Contract talks bring months of West Coast congestion

• Taft-Hartley Act1947 · 1947 law adding union limits and strike injunctions

1. West Coast ports lockout, 2002 (HistoryLink) historylink.org
2. Bush Taft-Hartley court order forces shippers to end lockout (Northwest Labor Press) nwlaborpress.org