From the JOC:

White House

A statement from the White House expresses confidence in the ability for both sides to reach an agreement.

Amid pleas of major shippers for a federal mediator, President Obama says he’s confident U.S. West Coast longshoremen and waterfront employers can reach a labor contract.

The White House statement further reflects the rut the labor and congestion situation at West Coast ports has ground into. Cargo is moving, albeit at a much slower pace than usual, and ILWU work slowdowns aren’t severe enough for the ILWU and PMA to request federal action.

“Just last year, there was a long negotiation at the East and Gulf Coast ports,” White House spokesman Frank Benenati told Bloomberg in an e-mail. “And just as the two sides in that case were able to resolve their differences through the time-tested process of collective bargaining, we’re confident that management and labor at the West Coast ports can do the same.”

Read the rest at the JOC