Port Strike! This Is The Eastern United States And The Gulf Of Mexico.

Warning!

The threat of a strike at ports in the eastern United States and the Gulf Coast next year is imminent, even before contract negotiations begin.

International Longshoremen's Association (ILA), which represents the port's 45000 Dockers, reiterated that it would strike if the negotiations on the new labour contract did not reach a fruitful conclusion by 30 September 2024, when the current six-year agreement expires.

ILA Chairman Harold Daggett recently told hundreds of ILA members and officials at a union education conference in Nashville to prepare for a strike that begins on October 1st, 2024.

He reiterated that the existing agreement would not be extended if the United States Maritime Federation (USMX), which represents employers of US Eastern and Gulf ports and the shipping companies serving them, failed to reach an agreement.

At a trade union conference in July, Daggett said: "if things come to the end, I promise there will be no postponement, we will take to the streets to strike."

The threshold for the upcoming contract negotiations is high. On Tuesday, Daggett reiterated that a landmark agreement is expected to be reached. ILA has not yet made a specific request, but on the west coast, the International Longshoremen and Warehouse Union ensures a 32 per cent pay increase within six years and provides an one-time bonus for work carried out during the outbreak.

In addition to salary, ILA also wants to ensure that the work of the new terminal is undertaken by its members, which is a controversial issue. The union has sued USMX, the US maritime alliance, and two carriers, Hapag-Lloyd and OOCL, for $300m over the mixed labour model at Charleston Leatherman Wharf, claiming it violated the existing master agreement.

The US National Labor Relations Board ruled this year that trade unions have the right to sue employers, and the appeal court later confirmed the decision. The issue has now been referred to the U.S. Supreme Court.

The third focus of justice is that ILA maintains its position of banning terminal automation. Daggett made it clear that this opposition will continue.

He hoped that the ILA local branch would start negotiations as soon as possible in order to resolve local issues before the start of the main contract negotiations. This appears to be a lesson learned from the 13-month contract negotiations on the West Coast, which have been delayed for weeks and months due to local issues.