Labor secretary: Pandemic, worker vexation feed port issues

By MEG KINNARD
Associated Press

MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C. (AP) — Labor Secretary Marty Walsh says slowdowns and bottlenecks at the nation’s shipping terminals are the result of an ongoing pandemic and problems like stagnant wages for some workers along the supply chain. Walsh told The Associated Press that’s what he’s hearing from those whose pay hasn’t gone up commensurate with experience. Walsh met Wednesday with workers during a visit to the Port of Charleston in South Carolina. There’s an ongoing labor dispute between South Carolina and the dockworkers’ union, related to who should operate heavy-lift equipment at a new terminal. Walsh says he plays no role in the dispute but supports the right to join a union.