Oakland Port Moves Past Labor Slowdown, but Faces Other Competitive Threats

The labor strife not only slowed shipments through the enormous facility and its network of trains and trucks that transport goods throughout the country, it also created an opening for competitors to show that they could fill the void. As containers sat and goods spoiled during the port slowdown in California in January and February, the ports along the Gulf of Mexico and on the East Coast took advantage by stepping up to handle the cargo with greater efficiency.