West Coast Ports Deploy Workers to Alleviate Three-Month Backlog

The two busiest U.S. seaports are facing their largest backlog of ships in more than a decade, even with hundreds of dock employees returning to work after their union reached a tentative labor contract.

Cargo backups and delays continue to bedevil the neighboring ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, which together handle about 43 percent of U.S. imports and 27 percent of exports.