In this photo taken Tuesday, Dec. 18, 2012, a truck driver watches as a freight container, right, is lowered onto a tractor trailer truck by a container crane at the Port of Boston, in Boston. The crane and a reach stacker, left, are operated by longshoremen at the port. The longshoremen's union may strike if they are unable to reach an agreement on their contract that expires Dec. 29, 2012. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)
Strike looms at East and Gulf Coast ports
In this photo taken Tuesday, Dec. 18, 2012, a truck driver watches as a freight container, right, is lowered onto a tractor trailer truck by a container crane at the Port of Boston, in Boston. The crane and a reach stacker, left, are operated by longshoremen at the port. The longshoremen's union may strike if they are unable to reach an agreement on their contract that expires Dec. 29, 2012. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)
By JAY LINDSAY
Associated Press /
December 19, 2012
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Companies are already worried about restocking after the holidays, and some are still dealing with the effects of the West Coast shutdown and Superstorm Sandy, he said.
‘‘You've already got companies and ports and trade that have been battered by a couple of situations over the last couple of months, and we still have this uncertainty,’’ Lamar said.
In Philadelphia, port executive Robert Blackburn estimates a strike could affect 60 percent of the tonnage the port handles.
‘‘Frankly, there’s not a lot we can do except that hope that cooler heads prevail and, if they don't, perhaps there will be intervention by the president,’’ Blackburn said.
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Associated Press writers Eileen AJ Connelly in New York and Kathy Matheson in Philadelphia contributed to this report.
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