Operators and workers struggle to reach agreement on US West Coast

Port workers on the West Coast of the United States are struggling to come to an agreement with terminal operators, as automation threatens the jobs of up to 50% of the workforce in some locations.

Disagreement hinges on the extent to which automation is allowed to take away workers’ jobs as terminal operators are installing equipment that moves containers from ships to shore cranes and to trucks with minimal human work.

At the Port of Los Angeles, terminal operator TraPac Inc hope to complete a large-scale automation project by 2016, making it the first fully automated port terminal on the West Coast.