Ports impacted by International Longshoremen’s Association strike manage between 35 and 49 percent of all U.S. imports and exports.
Thousands of union dock and maritime workers are officially on strike—a work stoppage that could significantly disrupt the U.S. economy.
The International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA), the largest North American union representing 85,000 maritime employees, rejected a counteroffer from the U.S. Maritime Alliance (USMX).
According to USMX officials, the organization representing East and Gulf Coast longshore industry employers, proposed several wage-related offers.
“Our offer would increase wages by nearly 50 percent, triple employer contributions to employee retirement plans, strengthen our health care options, and retain the current language around automation and semi-automation,” the USMX said in a statement hours before the midnight deadline.
The port ownership group noted that it was hopeful that the counteroffers would resume collective bargaining on other outstanding issues to reach an agreement.
Though the submitted proposal matched some of the ILA leadership’s demands, the union rejected the offer.
In a Sept. 30 statement to the press, the union claimed that USMX “continues to block the path toward a settlement on a new Master Contract by refusing ILA’s demands for a fair and decent contract and seems intent on causing a strike at all ports from Maine to Texas.”
This is the ILA’s first walkout since 1977 and will involve as many as 50,000 members.
The ILA found support from the International Brotherhood of Teamsters just before the walkout.
“The ocean carriers are on strike against themselves after failing to negotiate a contract that recognizes the value of these workers,” said Sean O’Brien, the Teamsters General President, in a late-night statement, urging the government to stay “out of this fight.”
Port Strike’s Economic Effects
The strike is expected to cause full work stoppages at 14 ports across the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts and impact the economy.
These ports manage between 35 and 49 percent of all U.S. imports and exports, with a large bulk of trade occurring at the ports of New York-New Jersey and Houston-Galveston.
By Andrew Moran
