Immigration protests to potentially hamper port operations

Immigration protests to potentially hamper port operations Shippers moving goods through the Southern California ports began preparing last week for what may be a sticky situation today, as an unknown number of port truckers were expected to participate in a planned work boycott by immigrants who are protesting the U.S. Congress' immigration reforms.
   While a large percentage of the 10,000 to 12,000 port truckers who haul containers to and from the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach are immigrants, it's not clear just how many planned to take part in today's boycott. Some shippers planned to minimize the effect of Monday's protest this past weekend.
   'To counter the affect of this potential work stoppage, many shippers are endeavoring to move as many containers in and out of the LA-LB Harbor area marine terminals and rail ramps prior to May 1,' Marine Exchange of Southern California Executive Director Manny Aschemeyer posted in an e-mail Friday. 'This will be a busy weekend!'
   Shippers are also bracing for a backup of containers to be drayed on Tuesday, when work is supposed to return to normal. The effect of Monday's protest may be mitigated by extended hours of operation in the port, offering shippers extra shifts on nights and Saturday to work through any backlog.
   It's also unknown what effect the boycott will have on the two ports' unionized longshoremen, who have typically honored stop work actions from other groups.