Operations at 29 West Coast ports resumed at a slow pace Wednesday, a day after President Bush stepped in to end the work stoppage. At 3:49 p.m. EST on Tuesday, President Bush announced he was directing Attorney General John Ashcroft to seek an injunction under the Taft-Hartley Act, ending the lockout and requiring work at the ports to resume. The 10-day closing of the ports due to a labor dispute stranded billions of dollars of cargo.

"This dispute between management and labor cannot be allowed to further harm the economy and force thousands of working Americans from their jobs," the president said. "This injunction will allow the parties more time to resolve their differences. It is not, however, a permanent solution to the problem, and the federal government will continue working with both sides to pursue a settlement."

Bush stressed that the ultimate responsibility for an agreement lies with the worker representatives and the port operators.