About 300 industry groups on Wednesday called on President Biden to take “immediate action” to resolve major strikes at ports along the East Coast and Gulf of Mexico.
Tens of thousands of longshore workers walked off the job shortly after midnight Tuesday, in a scenario that companies have feared for months. The impact on the U.S. economy is estimated to be up to $5 billion a day, with some retailers planning to ship early or via the West Coast ahead of the strike.
“Given the dire situation and the significant negative impact on our industry and economy, we urge you to take immediate action to quickly resolve this situation.” The letter says:.
A wide range of industry groups representing manufacturers, farmers, retailers, restaurants, transportation, and more signed the letter.
Signatories include the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, which represents automakers; Business Roundtable, which represents the chief executive officers of America's largest companies. American Distilled Spirits Council. National Manufacturers Association; National Wholesale Distributors Association; and National Retail Federation.
“No organization should have the power to cripple an entire economy and hold a nation’s supply chains hostage. It’s time to act,” said Eric Hoplin, CEO of the National Wholesale Distributors Association.
The letter does not specifically ask the president to invoke the Taft-Hartley Act. This would allow the president to ask the courts for an 80-day “cooling-off” period that would allow workers to return to work while the two sides continue to negotiate.
The measure has been used 37 times since it was passed in 1947, and was last invoked in 2002 by George W. Bush to end employer lockouts of longshoremen at West Coast ports. It was activated by the president.
Biden says he has no intention of invoking Taft-Hartley to end the strike and on Tuesday called on the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX) to give “meaningful increases” to longshore workers' wages. Ta. In addition to higher wages, dockworkers want protection from automation that could threaten their jobs.
The International Longshoremen's Association and USMX have not met for months after negotiations broke down in June over automatic gates at the Port of Mobile, Alabama.
“The only way the parties can reach a new agreement is to return to the negotiating table with the help of a federal mediator and ensure they negotiate in good faith,” the business group said.
“We all hoped that the collective bargaining process would work and that the parties would negotiate and reach an agreement, but that was not the case. We must step in to work together to resolve outstanding contract issues.”
