Longtime Grays Harbor, Wash.-area labor leader Max Vekich is now the newest member of the Federal Maritime Commission. Vekich, who was nominated by President Joe Biden in June, was sworn in on Feb. 15 for a commission term that expires June 30, 2026. Port of Grays Harbor Commission President Tom Quigg congratulated Vekich on his appointment to the five-member commission. “Having someone at the table that understands the role that small and large ports play in trade will be valuable,” Quigg said. “International trade is the cornerstone of our mission at the port, and we have no doubt that Max’s…

On Wednesday, Feb. 16, Danny Wan, president of the California Association of Port Authorities and executive director of the Port of Oakland, presented state lawmakers with a five-part plan to help ease congestion at West Coast ports. The plan includes identifying and allowing staging areas away from terminals for empty containers to ease bottlenecks at the docks and creating a California Office of Freight with a coordinator that could partner with the industry stakeholders to develop a state freight and goods movement policy and oversee the deployment of federal infrastructure investments. “California lawmakers must take a holistic approach to addressing…