Contract talks resume for west coast dockworkers

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Now that the Thanksgiving hiatus has come to an end, employers and stevedores in US west coast ports have once again sat down to negotiate a new master contract, some six months after the last one expired. While the fact that talks have resumed is unlikely to solve the congestion issues plaguing the region’s ports by itself, it does at least offer a glimmer of hope. At the same time, fears that the congestion may leave shop shelves empty during the pre-Christmas rush appear to have alleviated after the National Retail Federation suggested that most Christmas goods have already been delivered.