The question of how shippers would react to the West Coast port lockout has been central to the issue of how the episode would play out politically. (Radar Screen).

The question of how shippers would react to the West Coast port lockout has been central to the issue of how the episode would play out politically. A shipper community hostile to the Pacific Maritime Association and, by extension, the container lines, could ultimately weaken carriers' efforts to preserve their antitrust immunity. A friendly shipper lobby could aid efforts to place the International Longshore and Warehouse Union under a more restrictive labor law such as the Railway Labor Act. In an indication of how shippers are reacting …