ABSTRACT
Containerization facilitated increased globalization, competition between ports, and port devolution. These concurrent changes had deleterious impacts on port labor worldwide. In this chapter we provide a cross-country analysis of how labor was affected by changes in the structure of water transportation, using a case study of West Coast port workers to contrast the outcomes under different economic, legal, and structural regimes. We conclude with a discussion of current issues facing European and Asian ports and hypothesize their potential impacts on labor markets.
