Thank You President Obama
February 24, 2015
by Gary Toebben
The Los Angeles business community is relieved and appreciative that a new labor contract has been agreed to at our west coast ports. We thank President Obama and Secretary Perez for stepping in to mediate a solution.
We thank every elected official – local, state and federal – who signed a letter or made a phone call to the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA) and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) urging a speedy end to negotiations, most notably California senators Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer. We especially thank L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti and Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia for their frequent communications with the White House and other mayors of impacted cities on the west coast.
We also thank businesses and business organizations across the United States who raised their voices in communications to President Obama, members of Congress, PMA and ILWU and sounded the alert about the losses their businesses were suffering and how important the efficient functioning of our west coast ports are to the economy of our nation.
No region in the United States had a greater stake in these negotiations than Southern California and L.A. County, and there is no end to the number of people who helped to bring these negotiations to a close. We thank every individual who added their voice to this critically important national priority during the last nine months.
And that's The Business Perspective.
Leave a Comment
Comments submitted are subject to review by the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce prior to posting. The Chamber reserves the right to monitor and withhold comments that include personal, offensive, potentially libelous or copyright protected language, materials or links. Only comments relevant to the topic will be posted. Comments posted must have a valid email address. View our full terms & conditions.