United States

A federal mediator is stepping in to help move along contract talks between West Coast dockworkers and their employers. The most recent contract expired on July 1 of last year and negotiations have been sluggish ever since with both sides accusing the other of causing delays. West Coast ports, including Los Angeles/Long Beach, San Diego, and Seattle, handle nearly US$900 billion in goods each year, including massive quantities of apparel coming in from Asia. (Associated Press)

The city of Newburgh, New York has partnered with the Solar Energy Consortium, a non-profit group aimed at growing manufacturing in upstate New York, in an effort to attract new garment manufacturing factories and jobs to the region. City leaders say that their proximity to New York City, one of the fashion and business capitals of the world, coupled with an abundance of manufacturing space and robust infrastructure makes their town an ideal location for garment manufacturers. The city has also received grant funds to purchase modern manufacturing equipment and construct a new comprehensive manufacturing training facility. (PR Web)/(Fibre2Fashion)