U.S. Rep. Greg Walden (R-Hood River) today called for a swift resolution to the labor slowdown affecting ports up and down the West Coast. At a press conference today, Walden outlined the disastrous consequences the crisis has caused for farmers and manufacturers in Oregon, like tree fruit growers in the Columbia Gorge and potato and onion growers in Eastern Oregon.
“Enough is enough,” Walden said. “These sides need to come together. I believe as someone who represents part of the Columbia River Basin that the lack of an agreement has caused severe economic hardship, not only around the ports, but also for our growers and our manufacturers. And this needs to change. I think those who are involved in this discussion about a contract have to understand that they have a special public obligation. In many respects, they are a public carrier, if you will. There are very few if any alternatives to shipping.”
Walden also announced that he has cosponsored a Congressional resolution expressing the sense of the U.S. House that the port operators and longshoreman union should swiftly conclude their contract negotiations and that, if they do not, the President should use all tools at his authority to intervene in the matter and end the dispute.
