LOS ANGELES, CA – Employers at West Coast ports said last night that they were suspending most operations for several days, excluding yard, gate and rail operations.

In a statement, the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA) said that it will halt loading and unloading at 29 U.S. West Coast ports, including both Long Beach and Los Angeles, from Thursday (Today) until Monday.

“Last week, PMA made a comprehensive contract offer designed to bring these talks to conclusion,” said PMA Spokesman Wade Gates. “The ILWU responded with demands they knew we could not meet, and continued slowdowns that will soon bring West Coast ports to gridlock.”

Gates continued, “What they’re doing amounts to a strike with pay, and we will reduce the extent to which we pay premium rates for such a strike.”

In a counter statement from the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU), Robert McEllrath, ILWU President said, “This is an effort by the employers to put economic pressure on our members and to gain leverage in contract talks. The Union is standing by ready to negotiate, as we have been for the past several days.”

McEllrath went on to say that the employers are trying to sabotage negotiations, which is hurting not only workers and families but the industry and the U.S. economy as well.

According to USA Today, negotiations between the two sides were scheduled to resume yesterday but were canceled.

These slowdowns have had a ripple effect through the U.S. commercial supply chain, disrupting shipments of a wide range of goods across the agriculture, manufacturing, transportation and retail sectors.

As we previously reported, the California Citrus Mutual predicted that these port problems could cause up to $500 million in export losses to the citrus industry. Freska’s Gary Clevenger also told AndNowUKnow that the slowdowns were creating a vacuum in the West Coast market causing millions of dollars of damages to both importers and exporters alike.

Reuters is reporting that the National Retail Federation estimates that a full, extended shutdown of the ports could cost the U.S. economy $2 billion a day.

This shutdown is the latest in the seemingly endless back and forth between the PMA and the ILWU in the 9 months since the dockworkers began working without a contract.

It is currently unclear when negotiations will resume. Stay tuned to AndNowUKnow for the latest news on this developing situation.