International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) President Harold Daggett warned of a major strike next year involving the dockworkers on the US East and Gulf coasts.
According to a report by the Journal of Commerce, if the strike takes place, it would be “the first major labour disruption on the coasts since 1977.”
The ILA is the largest union of maritime workers in North America, representing nearly 70,000 longshoremen on the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts, Great Lakes, major U.S. rivers, Puerto Rico and Eastern Canada.
The association currently has a six-year labour agreement with the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX), an alliance of container carriers, direct employers, and port associations serving the US East and Gulf Coasts.
While the deal expires on 30 September 2024, Daggett announced this week that the agreement will not be extended without wage negotiations.
“These upcoming Wage Scale negotiations will be challenging,” said the ILA leader in a press release.
He added, “The union will hold firm on its pledge not to extend the contract beyond its expiration date,” and ILA members should prepare for a potential “coast-wide strike in October 2024.”
One of the critical challenges dockworkers face is the automation of operations at ports. Dagget assured that “the union will continue to fight automation at any of its ports, and he expects USMX to deliver a landmark compensation package.”
Industry expert and analyst Lars Jensen commented on the news on social media by saying, “The threat of a strike places pressure on the USMX (their counterpart) as the mere threat of a strike could cause shippers to pre-emptively move cargo to the West Coast.”
