Ports seek order to force dockworkers to bargaining table as strike looms at East and Gulf ports

Thu Sep 26 13:23:04 UTC 2024: ## East and Gulf Coast Ports File Complaint Against Longshoremen’s Union, Strike Looms

**DETROIT (AP)** – With a looming strike deadline just four days away, the U.S. Maritime Alliance (USMX) has filed an unfair labor practice charge with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), alleging that the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) is not negotiating in good faith. The USMX, representing East and Gulf Coast ports, is seeking an order requiring the ILA to return to the bargaining table.

The current contract between the ports and the ILA, representing 45,000 dockworkers from Maine to Texas, expires at 12:01 a.m. on Tuesday. The two sides have been locked in a dispute over wages and the union’s proposed ban on automation, which they argue could cost jobs.

The ILA has accused the USMX of being unprepared for contract talks and of failing to adequately compensate the workforce for their labor, particularly considering the billions in profits earned by the foreign-owned shipping companies they represent.

The union has demanded substantial pay raises to account for inflation and to share in the shipping companies’ profits, which have surged since the coronavirus pandemic. However, the two sides remain at an impasse, with the USMX offering what the union deems an unacceptable pay increase.

The NLRB is currently investigating the USMX complaint, but a decision is unlikely to be reached before the strike deadline.

A strike would shut down 36 major U.S. ports, handling nearly half of the country’s cargo imports and exports. While retailers have stocked up in anticipation of a strike, a prolonged work stoppage could lead to shortages of consumer products. The disruption would also significantly impact the U.S. economy, causing delays, increased traffic at other ports, and a backlog of ships.

The ILA has not gone on strike nationally since 1977. The outcome of this negotiation will have significant implications for the U.S. economy and the livelihoods of thousands of workers.

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