Strife at 29 West Coast Ports Threatens Delivery of Holiday Goods

Labor strife at major West Coast sea ports is threatening the delivery of holiday goods that consumers expect and retailers need to turn a profit. Until this week, dockworkers and their employers were negotiating a new contract with little of the drama that characterized past talks. But the association representing companies that ship cargo in and out of 29 West Coast ports and manage containers once onshore is accusing the dockworkers' union of deliberately slowing work to gain bargaining leverage. Their contract expired in July. According to U.S. trade data, cargo worth $892 billion in 2013 crossed the docks from San Diego to Seattle, much of the trade with Asia. TheStreet's Scott Gamm has details from New York.