Longshoremen strike ends with gains for labor’s strength
The abrupt pause of the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) strike has been welcomed throughout the U.S. economy. On Oct. 3 –– just three days after it started –– the ILA strike was officially suspended and a tentative agreement was reached.
The ILA and the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX), the organization that represents shipping companies and port authorities, said in a statement that they had “reached a tentative agreement on wages and agreed to extend the Master Contract until January 15, 2025…”
Both parties were set to return to bargaining to settle their remaining issues.
ILA workers had stated they were mainly concerned about the threats of automation and the small wage increases USMX was proposing.
The tentative agreement would reportedly grant a 62% increase to ILA workers’ wages. USMX was originally offering a 50% wage increase, while the union had been demanding a 77% increase.
Regarding the threats of automation, the ILA is one of the few unions with actual power: They have a monopoly on off-loading containers at ports around the country. But their jobs are threatened by automation. ILA members run the giant cranes that move containers from ship to truck, or truck to ship. They sit 100 feet above the docks and peer through a window at their feet to position cranes for pickup. Efforts to automate dockworker jobs include the use of self-driving trucks, trains, and container equipment tools.
The Biden-Harris administration said it was urging both sides to continue talking and come to an agreement as the strike progressed. Once the strike ended, President Biden said in a statement, “I congratulate the dockworkers from the ILA, who deserve a strong contract after sacrificing so much to keep our ports open during the pandemic. And I applaud the port operators and carriers who are members of the US Maritime Alliance for working hard and putting a strong offer on the table.
“I want to thank the union workers, the carriers, and the port operators for acting patriotically to reopen our ports and ensure the availability of critical supplies for Hurricane Helene recovery and rebuilding. Collective bargaining works, and it is critical to building a stronger economy from the middle out and the bottom up.”
The ILA strike was another test of labor’s power in the U.S. economy and showed that by banding together and showing they could unite for a common purpose, laborers can demand certain changes to their working conditions.
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