DOCK WORKERS STRIKE HITS EAST COAST & GULF PORTS
Dock workers at Eat Coast and Gulf ports walked off the job Sept 30 after weeks of negotiations failed to yield an agreement between the International Longshoreman’s Association and the US Maritime Alliance, representing the shipping industry.
ILA members have been working under a six-year contract that expired Sept 30 and saw their real income deteriorate during the pandemic when many ports could not operate. The workers unload cargo from ships docked in the ports They are seeking substantial pay increases to make up for their losses and protection from automation severely cutting into their jobs.
Even though a major strike like this one could endanger Democrats just before election, President Biden has said he will not seek a Taft-Hartley injunction against the strike. “Ocean carriers have made record profits since the pandemic,” Biden said in a statement. “It’s only fair that workers, who put themselves at risk during the pandemic to keep ports open, see a meaningful increase in their wages as well.”
