ILA shuts down ports on Atlantic and Gulf coast
The International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) has launched a coast-wide shutdown of ports from Maine to Texas at 12:01 a.m. (ET) on Tuesday, October 1, 2024.
Tens of thousands of ILA members set up picket lines at critical waterfront facilities across the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts, marking the first major strike of this scale in nearly five decades. This action followed the union’s rejection of the United States Maritime Alliance’s (USMX) final contract offer on Monday.
“USMX brought on this strike when they decided to hold firm to foreign owned Ocean Carriers earning billion-dollar profits at United States ports, but not compensate the American ILA longshore workers who perform the labor that brings them their wealth,” said President Harold Daggett, the leader of the 85,000-member ILA union. “We are prepared to fight as long as necessary, to stay out on strike for whatever period of time it takes, to get the wages and protections against automation our ILA members deserve.”
USMX confirmed in a statement that final offers were exchanged on Monday ahead of the contract expiration. Specifically, USMX increased its offer and has requested an extension of the current Master Contract to create some room for continuation of the bargaining around the outstanding issues.
“Our offer would increase wages by nearly 50%, triple employer contributions to employee retirement plans, strengthen our health care options, and retain the current language around automation and semi-automation,” USMX said.
The ILA said USMX’s wage increase offer fell far short of the demands of ILA rank-and-file members for them to ratify a new contract.
“USMX owns this strike now,” said ILA President Daggett. “They now must meet our demands for this strike to end.”
The International Brotherhood of Teamsters, a powerful labour union representing workers in various industries including freight, warehousing, and logistics, announced their support for the strike. In a statement, Teamsters President Sean M. O’Brien affirmed their solidarity with the ILA as they demand fair wages and protection from automation, stressing that “Teamsters do not cross picket lines”.
“The ocean carriers are on strike against themselves after failing to negotiate a contract that recognizes the value of these workers. Our ILA brothers and sisters play a critical role in keeping the American economy running, and they deserve industry-leading wages and robust job protections for the vital work they perform,” the statement reads.
“The U.S. government should stay the f**k out of this fight and allow union workers to withhold their labor for the wages and benefits they have earned. Any workers—on the road, in the ports, in the air—should be able to fight for a better life free of government interference. Corporations for too long have been able to rely on political puppets to help them strip working people of their inherent leverage.
The article was initially published on Project Cargo Journal’s sister website WorldCargo News.
