The workers' contract expired at midnight, prompting approximately 45,000 members to walk off the job despite reported progress in negotiations just a day prior.
Dockworkers across the United States began striking on Tuesday in a dispute over wages and automation, marking the first strike by the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) since 1977.
The workers' contract expired at midnight, prompting approximately 45,000 members to walk off the job despite reported progress in negotiations just a day prior.
The strike is impacting 36 ports from Maine to Texas and could reignite inflation and cause shortages if it persists for more than a few weeks, Associated Press reports.
Picketing commenced at the Port of Philadelphia shortly after midnight, where workers chanted, “No work without a fair contract,” while walking in circles at a rail crossing outside the port.
A truck bearing the message “Automation Hurts Families: ILA Stands For Job Protection” was also present at the site.
Local ILA president Boise Butler stated that workers are demanding a fair contract that prohibits the automation of their jobs. “Shipping companies made billions during the pandemic by charging high prices,” he said.
“Now we want them to pay back. They’re going to pay back,” Butler added, asserting that the union will strike as long as necessary to secure a fair deal and highlighting the union’s importance to the economy.
At Port Houston, around 50 workers joined the picket line carrying signs that echoed the Philadelphia workers’ sentiments. The U.S. Maritime Alliance, which represents the ports, acknowledged that both sides had moved off their previous wage offers but did not reach an agreement.
The union's opening proposal included a 77% pay raise over the six-year life of the contract. President Harold Daggett explained that this raise is necessary to address inflation and years of minimal increases.
In response, the alliance increased its offer to 50% raises over six years and promised to maintain limits on automation from the old contract.
However, the union seeks a complete ban on automation, leaving the two sides with an unclear distance between their positions.
The alliance expressed hope that progress could resume collective bargaining around outstanding issues to reach an agreement.
However, early Tuesday, the union rejected the alliance's latest proposal, stating it “fell far short of what ILA rank-and-file members are demanding in wages and protections against automation.”
Daggett reiterated that the union is prepared to continue the strike until their demands for wages and automation protections are met.
https://apnews.com/article/