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Strategies & Market Trends : Galapagos Islands -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Techplayer who wrote (5549)	10/8/2002 1:01:47 PM
From: Techplayer	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 57110

Bush May Seek to Halt Port Lockout By LEIGH STROPE 10/08/2002 11:32:13 EST WASHINGTON (AP) - A board of inquiry hand-picked by President Bush told the White House Tuesday that a labor standoff between the West Coast longshoremen and shippers has no chance of ending soon, handing Bush ammunition to seek an court injunction ending the shutdown. A senior administration official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Bush tentatively decided to seek the injunction seeking an 80 day "cooling off period" to end the lockout at all 29 West Coast ports. The White House expected to announce the decision later Tuesday. That would mark the first presidential effort in a quarter-century to end a work stoppage under the Taft-Hartley Act. The board's brief report does not go into detail about the economic and national security impact of the shutdown, but it does hold out little hope for a resolution of the conflict, said the source, discussing the situation only on grounds of anonymity. White House press secretary Ari Fleischer declined to speak about Bush's intentions. "He looks forward to receiving the report from the board that he named. He expects to receive the report sometime today and he looks forward to reviewing it," Fleischer said. A cooling-off period would keep the ports open during the crucial Christmas season, in which retailers are relying on imported goods to stock their shelves. The trade-off for the Bush administration is that a court-ordered truce could energize organized labor - traditionally a Democratic ally - just four weeks before midterm elections. Democratic candidates rely on heavy turnout from union workers, and some presidential advisers fear Bush's intervention will drive angry labor voters to the polls. On balance, however, White House advisers welcomed the chance to head off a burgeoning crisis and perhaps ease concerns about his handling of the economy. Polls show a growing number of voters want Bush to spend more time talking about the economy than Iraq. His economic policies have either stalled in the Senate or have failed to jump start the economy. Now he has an economic cause to promote.