Port deal must come soon, AAFA says
The American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA) has called for a new, long-term labour agreement between port operators and their employees on the west coast of the US to come in quickly to help the footwear industry avoid supply chain delays at crucial times for shipping and shopping.
AAFA has highlighted that it is now one year since the end of the previous long-term labour agreement, with negotiations for a new deal dragging on for more than 11 months.
Timing is important, it explained, because peak shipping for the busiest shopping seasons of the year (back-to-school at the end of the northern hemisphere summer and then Christmas) is on the horizon.
AAFA chief executive, Steve Lamar, said: “There appears to be stalled progress towards a new long-term agreement. Any port closure creates back-ups that immediately impact the delivery of goods to stores and warehouses, which will adversely impact consumers, workers, and businesses.”
