Tens of thousands of longshoremen along the East Coast and Gulf of Mexico went on strike early Tuesday, the first industrial action by the U.S. Longshoremen's Union in nearly half a century.
Negotiations over wages and automation have stalled in an “stalemate” that could cost the U.S. economy $5 billion a day.
Port facilities from Maine to Texas are surrounded by suspended walking picket lines, which could reignite inflation and cause shortages if it continues for more than a few weeks.
AP report The contract between the port and the approximately 45,000 members of the International Longshoremen's Association (ILA) expires at midnight, and workers go on strike despite reports of progress in negotiations on Monday. did. The strike, which affects 36 ports, is the first union-led strike since 1977.
Workers began picketing the Port of Philadelphia after midnight, walking in a circle at a railroad crossing outside the port and chanting, “No work without a fair contract.”
The union had a message board on the side of the truck that read, “Automation hurts families: ILA stands for job protection.”
Workers picket outside the APM Container Terminal at the Port of Newark on Tuesday, October 1, 2024 in Newark, New Jersey. Longshoremen walked out of all major ports in the eastern United States and the Gulf Coast, marking the beginning of a strike. That could cause political turmoil in the weeks before the presidential election. (Michael Nagle/Bloomberg via Getty)
“We are prepared to fight as long as necessary and continue the strike for any length of time,” ILA President Harold Daggett said, adding that the USMX “will respond to our demands for an end to this strike.” I asked.
The 30 affected ports, stretching from Maine to Texas, together handle a quarter of the country's international trade, worth $3 trillion annually, according to a Conference Board analysis. financial times report.
The industry group warned that the shutdown would “paralyze U.S. trade” and halt imports of food, medicine, home appliances and clothing. The union said it will continue handling military cargo.
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.
