Thousands of workers at more than a dozen ports across the country are preparing to strike as the deadline for an agreement between the union and the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX) approaches.
International Longshoremen's Association (ILA) longshoremen at about 14 ports along the East Coast and Gulf of Mexico will go on strike starting October 1 if the union and USMX cannot reach an agreement on a labor contract. It is planned. , According to to hill.
Currently, the current agreement covers approximately “25,000 longshoremen engaged in containment and roll-on/roll-off operations at ports in the Eastern and Gulf Coasts of the United States.” According to To USMX.
According to the union, the ILA is the “largest union of maritime workers in North America,” with approximately 85,000 coastal workers located in “the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts, the Great Lakes, major rivers of the United States, Puerto Rico, and eastern Canada.” They say they represent the workers. Website.
a report The Conference Board noted that if workers went on strike, it could “cause serious economic consequences.”
“Just one week of strikes could cost the U.S. economy $3.78 billion (or $540 million per day),” the Conference Board said in its report.
The report also said a strike by longshoremen would come “at a critical time” ahead of the presidential election in November, and would “help retailers make sure customers have enough supplies ahead of the busy holiday shopping season.” “We are trying to quickly finish importing inventory in order to secure supplies.” ”
President Joe Biden has indicated he would not intervene in the strike, but under the Taft-Hartley Act, he would be allowed to intervene and “require a court-ordered 80-day cooling-off period.” Reported. hill.
Americans are stocking up on 'essential goods' ahead of potential strike, Fox Business reported reported.
One person told the outlet that he was “worried” about the possibility of a strike, adding: “It will be difficult to make ends meet if things continue like this.”
Updated at 12:13 a.m. ET: new york times report“Both sides have moved on from their previous positions,” the maritime alliance said in a news release. “We hope this will allow us to fully resume collective bargaining.”
