Hours after tens of thousands of longshoremen were laid off at ports along the East Coast and Gulf of Mexico, President Biden called for a strike to demand higher wages for longshoremen.
The United States Maritime Alliance (USMX) and the International Longshoremen's Association (ILA) failed to reach an agreement by a midnight deadline, leading to the first strike by the longshoremen union in nearly 50 years.
Biden said in a statement that he urged USMX to come to the table and present a fair offer that will ensure workers are paid decent wages.
“Ocean carriers have posted record profits since the pandemic, with profits increasing by more than 800 percent compared to pre-pandemic profits in some cases. Executive compensation has increased with profits. , profits are being returned to shareholders in record time,” Biden said. “It stands to reason that the workers who have put themselves at risk during the pandemic to keep our ports open will also see significant wage increases.”
The union is demanding higher wages and a complete ban on cranes, gates, container-moving trucks and USMX automation. said on Monday evening It said it had “exchanged wage-related counteroffers” with ILA.
Biden also noted that longshoremen will play a critical role in securing regional resources in the aftermath of Hurricane Helen, saying, “These essential workers will be left behind while shipping companies earn record profits.” “Now is not the time to refuse to negotiate fair wages for workers,” he added. ”
He emphasized that coastal contractors have made a “significant contribution” to the recovery of the U.S. economy and reiterated his call for USMX to negotiate fair contracts.
