Office of Governor Gary Locke
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - October 8, 2002
Contact: Governor's Communications Office, 360-902-4136
Gov. Gary Locke's Statement on the Use of Taft-Hartley Act in West Coast Port Shutdown
Gov. Gary Locke today issued a statement on President Bush's decision to invoke the Taft-Hartley Act in the West Coast port shutdown:
"It was my hope that both sides would reach an agreement without this type of federal intervention.
"Though the cooling-off period ends the lockout and provides much-needed relief for farmers, truckers, retailers and consumers, it is only a temporary fix unless both sides use this time to reach a permanent solution.
"I urge the shippers and longshoremen to continue working with the federal mediator during this cooling-off period to reach a swift resolution."