ILA says it will move forward with strike on Tuesday

Update: The International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) said in its latest update from this morning that it has not been able to reach an agreement with United States Maritime Alliance (USMX). According to ILA, the employers are refusing ILA’s demands “for a fair and decent contract and seems intent on causing a strike at all ports from Maine to Texas beginning in almost 12 hours.”

“The Ocean Carriers represented by USMX want to enjoy rich billion-dollar profits that they are making in 2024, while they offer ILA Longshore Workers an unacceptable wage package that we reject,” the ILA said.

“ILA longshore workers deserve to be compensated for the important work they do keeping American commerce moving and growing. It’s disgraceful that most of these foreign-owned shipping companies are engaged in a ‘Make and Take’ operation: They want to make their billion-dollar profits at United States ports, and off the backs of American ILA longshore workers, and take those earnings out of this country and into the pockets of foreign conglomerates. Meanwhile, ILA dedicated longshore workers continue to be crippled by inflation due to USMX’s unfair wage packages. “

“In addition, the shippers are gouging their customers that result in increased costs to American consumers. They are now charging US$ 30,000 for a full container, a whopping increase from US$ 6,000 per container just a few weeks ago. In just a short time, they went from 6K, to 18K, then 24K and now US$ 30,000. It’s unheard of and they are doubling their US$ 30,000 fee stuffing the same container from multiple shippers. They are killing the customers.”

Previously reported:

ILA has confirmed its plans to initiate a strike across all Atlantic and Gulf Coast ports from Maine to Texas, beginning at 12:01 a.m. on Tuesday, October 1, 2024.

The confirmation came in a statement issued on Sunday, September 29.

“With 36 hours to go before the end of the ILA-USMX contract tomorrow evening, the 85,000 members of the International Longshoremen’s Association, joined in solidarity by tens of thousands of dockworkers and maritime workers around the world, will hit the picket lines at 12:01 am on Tuesday, October 1, 2024 and strike at all Atlantic and Gulf Coast ports from Maine to Texas,” the statement said.

The strike is being announced after talks with the USMX on extending the labour contract, set to expire on September 30, ground to a halt. The ILA accuses USMX of ignoring decades of wage stagnation.

“United States Maritime Alliance (USMX) refuses to address a half-century of wage subjugation where Ocean Carriers profits skyrocketed from millions to mega-billion dollars, while ILA longshore wages remained flat,” the union added.

The ILA plans to provide further information to the public and media by 11 a.m. on Monday (local time). However, the union clarified that it will not be conducting one-on-one interviews until Tuesday, and no specific details regarding the locations of pickets or protests will be disclosed prior to the strike. The union previously stated that the strike would not impact military cargo shipments or cruise ship traffic. If it proceeds, this will be the first coast-wide ILA strike since 1977, affecting ports that handle about half of the nation’s ocean shipping.

As WorldCargo News reported earlier, the USMX has filed an unfair labour practice charge with the National Labour Relations Board and requested immediate injunctive relief, requiring the union to resume bargaining so that a deal can be negotiated. However, Reuters reports, citing sources close to the matter, that there were no negotiations taking place between the two sides and no plans to resume talks.

What is more, the Biden Administration has indicated it will not intervene using the federal Taft-Hartley Act to prevent the strike, allowing negotiations to proceed without federal disruption. In an interview earlier this month, ILA President Harold J. Daggett expressed scepticism about the effectiveness of invoking the Taft-Hartley Act. The Taft-Hartley Act requires workers to return to work for a mandatory 90-day period. Daggett said reinstating workers without addressing underlying issues may lead to decreased morale and commitment. This, he suggested, could result in suboptimal productivity levels, leaving employers to question who truly benefits in the long term.

*This article has been updated with the latest statement from the ILA since its initial publishing.