Issue link: https://pma.uberflip.com/i/1101484
2018 was a year marked by important milestones on the West Coast waterfront: record-setting cargo volumes, expansion of the union workforce in key markets, and the election of a new leadership team at the ILWU. The Pacific Maritime Association's historic multi-year contract extension with the ILWU, reached in 2017, along with an expansion of the registered workforce at our largest ports in 2018, helped support reliable and productive terminal operations up and down the coast. All the while, PMA kept its members' assessment rates flat for the fifth year in a row. In 2018, West Coast ports continued to make substantial progress in delivering certainty to shippers while managing record-setting volumes. This progress, combined with our ports' natural strengths – strategic access to Asia, deep water bays, connectivity to world-class infrastructure, and proximity to large consumer markets in the Western U.S. – places the West Coast in a strong position to attract new cargo while welcoming the continued return of goods that had shifted to other regions. As we look to the future, we can expect to see continued investments in terminal-related infrastructure to speed the productive, safe, and efficient flow of cargo to markets throughout the U.S. and beyond. The billions of dollars invested to date to streamline terminal operations has been instrumental in driving growth, while port automation is helping to meet the challenge of increased cargo volume and velocity processed within the same terminal footprints. From Southern California to the Pacific Northwest, we are building on a strong foundation to continue driving economic growth and prosperity for the West Coast and the entire nation. Moving forward, PMA and its member companies will maintain our focus on productive, reliable and modern terminal operations – and continuing to deliver world-class service to the global shipping community. Sincerely, James C. McKenna President and CEO To Our Stakeholders 3 p a c i f i c M a r i t i M e a s s o c i a t i o n