The International Longshoremen’s Association (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 United States Maritime Alliance (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. Dagget 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