[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 38, Number 41 (Monday, October 14, 2002)]
[Page 1734]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks Announcing Action on the Labor Disputes Affecting Pacific Coast 
Ports

October 8, 2002

    I appreciate my Cabinet Secretaries joining me here for this 
announcement.
    For over a week our ports along the Pacific coast have been shut 
down. These ports handle more than $300 billion a year in trade. The 
work stoppage is hurting our entire economy. It is hurting truckers and 
rail operators who carry goods to other parts of America. It's hurting 
farmers and ranchers and manufacturers, retailers and consumers who 
make, buy, and sell the products that pass through our ports.
    The crisis in our western ports is hurting the economy. It is 
hurting the security of our country, and the Federal Government must 
act. Americans are working hard every day to bring our economy back from 
recession. This Nation simply cannot afford to have hundreds of billions 
of dollars a year in potential manufacturing and agricultural trade 
sitting idle. We can't afford it. Because of the situation at the west 
coast ports, our economy is already losing up to $1 billion a day, 
economic losses that translate into lost jobs.
    The farm economy alone is losing a thousand jobs a day. Automotive 
plants cannot get all the parts they need, and they're laying off 
workers. Stores cannot begin stocking up for the holiday season. All of 
this will only worsen as time goes on.
    The work stoppage also threatens our national defense. These ports 
load the ships that carry supplies to our men and women in uniform. 
These ports also receive parts and materials used by our defense 
contractors to complete projects and maintain military equipment.
    Federal mediators have been trying to get the workers and port 
operators to resume operations while they negotiate their differences. 
The Secretary of Labor has been working hard to get people back to work. 
Unfortunately, the union and the management have been unable to reach an 
agreement. After a lot of work, particularly by our Labor Department and 
Secretary, after a lot of discussions, we have been unable to bring the 
two parties together, and therefore stronger action is required. Because 
the operation of western ports is vital to our economy and to our 
military, I have determined that the current situation imperils our 
national health and safety.
    I have appointed a board of inquiry to investigate the issues at 
stake. Today the board submitted an official report stating each party's 
position. I am now directing Attorney General Ashcroft to seek an 
injunction under the Taft-Hartley Act, ending the lockout and requiring 
work at the ports to resume at a normal pace. This dispute between 
management and labor cannot be allowed to further harm the economy and 
force thousands of working Americans from their jobs.
    This injunction will allow the parties more time to resolve their 
differences. It is not, however, a permanent solution to the problem, 
and the Federal Government will continue working with both sides to 
pursue a settlement. The ultimate responsibility for an agreement lies 
with the worker representatives and the port operators. I expect both 
sides to put the concerns of our national health and safety first and 
work in good faith to resolve their differences as quickly as possible.
    Thank you very much.

Note: The President spoke at 3:44 p.m. on the South Grounds at the White 
House.