A federal judge issued a temporary restraining order Tuesday following a request by President Bush to reopen 29 West Coast ports that have been closed for 10 days in a lockout that has cost the country more than $1 billion per day.
The Associated Press said Justice Department officials filed the request in federal court and within three hours, Judge William Alsup ruled the government had shown that use of the Taft-Hartley Act was necessary to stop a drain on the U.S. economy.
The temporary restraining order expires a week from today, when the judge scheduled a hearing. Both sides in the labor dispute said they expect Alsup will impose an 80-day cooling-off period that is mandated by Taft-Hartley.
Late Tuesday, the Pacific Maritime Assn., which represents the shipping lines and terminal operators, said it ordered workers to report to shifts that start at 6 p.m. today in most of the 29 ports.
"This dispute between management and labor cannot be allowed to further harm the economy and force thousands of working Americans from their jobs," Bush said earlier Tuesday in a hastily arranged announcement.
His speech coincided with an announcement that the 10,500-member dockworkers' union agreed to a last-minute truce to return to work for 30 days under the expired contract's terms. But the shipping lines and terminal operators turned down the union’s offer and insisted on a 90-day extension. That led the Bush administration to petition the court for help.
Meanwhile, William Canary, president and CEO of the American Trucking Assns., announced Tuesday that he is "extremely gratified" that President Bush invoked the Taft-Hartley Act, "to ensure that the economic bleeding of America ends."
In comments made Tuesday afternoon at the White House, Bush said the port dispute is, "hurting truckers."
Canary agreed with the president, adding, "It is time to get these ports working again so that America's economy and national security are no longer threatened."
Transportation Secretary Norm Mineta said, "More than $12 billion in goods and services that would otherwise have found their way into the U.S. economy from the West Coast ports could not do so."
The most often-cited study estimates total harm to the economy at between $1 billion and $2 billion a day. The study, prepared for the association by Martin Associates of Lancaster, Pa., estimated the cost of a 10-day lockout at $19 billion.
An 80-day truce would keep ports open during the Christmas season, when retailers rely on imported goods to stock their shelves.
Workers may need as long as 10 weeks to clear the backlog of goods caused by the port shutdown. Ships carrying food and other perishables will be unloaded first when longshoremen return to work this evening.
The Associated Press said Justice Department officials filed the request in federal court and within three hours, Judge William Alsup ruled the government had shown that use of the Taft-Hartley Act was necessary to stop a drain on the U.S. economy.
The temporary restraining order expires a week from today, when the judge scheduled a hearing. Both sides in the labor dispute said they expect Alsup will impose an 80-day cooling-off period that is mandated by Taft-Hartley.
Late Tuesday, the Pacific Maritime Assn., which represents the shipping lines and terminal operators, said it ordered workers to report to shifts that start at 6 p.m. today in most of the 29 ports.
"This dispute between management and labor cannot be allowed to further harm the economy and force thousands of working Americans from their jobs," Bush said earlier Tuesday in a hastily arranged announcement.
His speech coincided with an announcement that the 10,500-member dockworkers' union agreed to a last-minute truce to return to work for 30 days under the expired contract's terms. But the shipping lines and terminal operators turned down the union’s offer and insisted on a 90-day extension. That led the Bush administration to petition the court for help.
Meanwhile, William Canary, president and CEO of the American Trucking Assns., announced Tuesday that he is "extremely gratified" that President Bush invoked the Taft-Hartley Act, "to ensure that the economic bleeding of America ends."
In comments made Tuesday afternoon at the White House, Bush said the port dispute is, "hurting truckers."
Canary agreed with the president, adding, "It is time to get these ports working again so that America's economy and national security are no longer threatened."
Transportation Secretary Norm Mineta said, "More than $12 billion in goods and services that would otherwise have found their way into the U.S. economy from the West Coast ports could not do so."
The most often-cited study estimates total harm to the economy at between $1 billion and $2 billion a day. The study, prepared for the association by Martin Associates of Lancaster, Pa., estimated the cost of a 10-day lockout at $19 billion.
An 80-day truce would keep ports open during the Christmas season, when retailers rely on imported goods to stock their shelves.
Workers may need as long as 10 weeks to clear the backlog of goods caused by the port shutdown. Ships carrying food and other perishables will be unloaded first when longshoremen return to work this evening.
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