Los Angeles Port Strike Drags On
ASHLEIGH BANFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: For more than a week, two of the busiest ports in this country have been effectively shut down. I'm talking about the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, right near each other on the California coast. As we zoom in, you can see just where they sit. And they are basically closed by a strike of warehouse clerks. What does that have to do with things you want, perhaps even for the holidays? Some retailers are saying some of the hottest holiday items might not make it to store shelves because they can't get unloaded from the cargo ships because of the picket lines and the strikers. And it is costing this economy in the United States up to a billion dollars a day. It's a lot of money. It's a lot of frustration. You know what? I'm sure the strikers aren't enjoying what they're doing either. The International Long Shore and Warehouse Union, which represents 800 clerks, is saying employers are trying to outsource their union jobs. But the group representing management says that's just not true. We haven't heard a lot about progress in the talks up until now. But, and that's a big but, the mayor of Los Angeles has decided it's time to get involved, and here's what he had to say about it.</s>ANTONIO VILLARAIGOSA, MAYOR OF LOS ANGELES: We have met all night. We have worked across the table with a number of proposals. It is still clear to me that we're some bit apart but progress has been made. But what I'm here to announce is that both parties have agreed to federal mediation and to a federal mediator.</s>BANFIELD: Miguel Marquez is live for us on this story. That's a development, Miguel. That's pretty good news. Is everybody hearing it so far there?</s>MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's news. I don't know how good the news is. There is a lot of discussion this morning, early this morning, that there would be a deal, that the deal was at hand, and both sides sat down. They were talking about some of the issues. The mayor did say, during the press conference, there's a wide chasm between the sides as well. That federal mediator has not been named yet. Who it is, is expected to be here shortly. It may slow things down a bit though because that person will have to get caught up with what's happening here before they can get down to business. What both sides want is that attention being paid from the federal level though. They remain hopeful, the mayor and his aides, and the union folks, that a deal is still possible today. Even if they don't reach a deal -- because these guys have not had a contract for 2.5 years. Even if they don't reach a deal, they may get back to work and at least get the port open again -- Ashleigh?</s>BANFIELD: That was the next question. What have they said to you in terms of the intractability of the argument right now? Might mediations mean they will at least get of the picket lines while the two parties hash it out in a different venue?</s>MARQUEZ: It is possible. It depends on what the atmosphere is in that room. It sounds like -- you saw those individuals behind the mayor, all nodding their heads. They all seemed to be in agreement. Those are the main people sitting down and negotiating that deal. There seems -- the big sticking point is over these jobs. 800 clerical worker jobs, only 600 full time. They get paid $41 an hour. Very good jobs, and they want to keep them here. They don't want them outsourced as they're calling it. But they include in that outsourcing, jobs going to Texas, Colorado and Arizona. But also to Panama and other places as well. So they -- that's what they're trying to hold on to. That's where the sticking point has been. Management not wanting to give on the principle of saying where those jobs can be placed, and the union wanting those jobs to stay right here in the Los Angeles, Long Beach ports -- Ashleigh?</s>BANFIELD: Miguel, this is a local story. We put statistics up on the screen during your first comments and it's astounding. 40 percent of all U.S. cargo comes through.</s>BANFIELD: That's wrong?</s>MARQUEZ: No, 40 percent of all U.S. cargo. Nearly a half trillion dollars comes through the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles. Two ports, but they're one essential location here. It is absolute massive undertaking here.</s>BANFIELD: Wow.</s>MARQUEZ: There are 10 ships right now with containers on them berthed at the port, waiting to be unloaded, and another 11 off port, at anchor, waiting to come in, and 17 ships so far have been routed to other ports, some of those in Mexico, some of those farther north in the U.S. So that's just in seven days. It's an absolutely massive operation here.</s>BANFIELD: I can only imagine what is in those containers behind you, Miguel Marquez. But I think a lot of kids will be disappointed this Christmas. Miguel Marquez, reporting live for us from Los Angeles. Thanks, Miguel. So you have heard the numbers by now, almost 15 million U.S. households rely on food stamps. And now one of those households belongs to this man. He's the mayor of Newark, New Jersey. And Cory Booker has decided to find out firsthand what it's like to live on food stamps. And get this -- it happened because of Twitter. We'll explain in a moment.