The projected growth in passenger numbers will contribute to the airport's ongoing rebound from the coronavirus pandemic.

Officials first announced the new charge last month, and it was originally slated to go into effect Nov. 1. But it appears the mere threat of the penalty has spurred more container movement, and implementation the fee has been postponed multiple times since.

In an attempt to centralize how it assisted businesses through the crisis, Long Beach announced last November that it was launching a new program called BizCare as a kind of one-stop-shop for small business owners. So one year into the program, I was curious to learn how successful it’s been in its mission.

The news came amid a DLBA-led investigation into longtime president and CEO Kraig Kojian for alleged mistreatment of employees.

"Considering the strength of the economy, the overall surge in demand for goods, the extraordinary purchasing power of consumers (aided by coronavirus relief spending), and the 'shop early' messaging," CSULB Economics Chair Seiji Steimetz said, "I wouldn’t be surprised if we have a record-setting Black Friday and holiday shopping season."

Employers in Long Beach emphasized their attempts to be more flexible with schedules and time off; new programs to foster a sense of community and more open culture around mental health; and efforts to better inform workers about employee assistance programs and other benefits that predated the pandemic.

The global behemoth, which now occupies about half a million square feet of office space in Long Beach, is the last vestige of the city’s first aerospace boom, which began in 1940 when representatives of the Douglas Aircraft Company bought a 200-acre site near Daugherty Field (now Long Beach Airport) for $1,000 per acre.

A letter from a former employee accused DLBA President Kraig Kojian of "workplace bullying and a toxic work environment, largely inflicted upon women workers."

How have the ports been investing their money, along with funds they receive from the federal government and other agencies?

Deepening the waterways, in some cases by as little as 4 feet, would allow some ships to enter and exit the Port of Long Beach much more quickly, ultimately lowering national transportation costs.