ACD Press Release

Arlington, VA – Today, National Association of Chemical Distributors (NACD) President and CEO Eric R. Byer released the following statement after the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA) and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) announced a tentative, six-year labor contract agreement for workers at 29 West Coast ports:

“West Coast ports are some of the largest in the nation and serve as critical gateways to the movement of essential products. Any delay or disruption at these ports causes severe strain on businesses of all sizes. More than a year into these labor contract negotiations, it became clear that the longer these discussions went unresolved, the greater the risk of additional supply chain challenges including delivery delays for many chemicals used in products every day by the American consumer.  

“NACD applauds the PMA, ILWU, and Acting U.S. Secretary of Labor Julie Su for their work on this agreement, and we urge both parties to swiftly ratify the proposal to ensure that businesses can rely upon an efficient and reliable supply chain.”

Last week, NACD called on the White House and Biden Administration leadership to help mediate these contentious labor contract negotiations to avoid further disruptions.

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NACD and its over 400 member and Affiliate companies are vital to the chemical supply chain providing products to over 750,000 end users. NACD members are leaders in health, safety, security, and environmental performance through implementation of Responsible Distribution, established in 1991 as a condition of membership and a third party-verified management practice. For more information on NACD, visit www.nacd.com.