The International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) on Sunday announced plans for a widespread strike at all Atlantic and Gulf Coast ports, scheduled to begin at 12:01 am on Tuesday, October 1, 2024.
With just 36 hours remaining before the expiration of the current ILA-USMX contract, negotiations between the ILA and the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX) have reached an impasse. The strike would involve 85,000 ILA members and impact ports from Maine to Texas, the ILA said in a Sunday update posted to Facebook.
“United States Maritime Alliance (USMX) refuses to address a half-century of wage subjugation where Ocean Carriers profits skyrocketed from millions to mega-billion dollars, while ILA longshore wages remained flat,” the update said.
The potential work stoppage will affect 45,000 port workers at 36 ports responsible for handling more than 40% of total containerized goods entering the United States. The strike also comes at a particularly challenging time for ocean supply chains, which have already faced significant disruptions in 2024 due to conflicts in the Red Sea, drought in the Panama Canal, and the Baltimore bridge collapse.
The disruptions, combined with strong U.S. demand, have already caused average spot freight rates from the Far East to the U.S. East Coast to increase by over 300% between December 2023 and early July 2024, according to Xeneta.
Despite the high stakes, the Biden administration has indicated that the president does not plan to invoke the Taft-Hartley Act, a federal law that allows presidential intervention in labor disputes that create a national emergency.
The ILA says they will provide updates on any new developments by 11 a.m. on Monday, September 30.
As this week’s deadline approaches, the outcome of these negotiations is set to have far-reaching consequences for the U.S. economy and global supply chains.
The ILA said its members will maintain their pledge to handle military cargo and work passengers vessels throughout the strike.
Related Video – Longshoreman Union President on a Potential Strike: “I Will Cripple You!”
kbean826 on September 30th, 2024 at 05:26 UTC »
So what absolutely unaffected products/companies are going to increase prices citing this and never return them to normal?
fxkatt on September 30th, 2024 at 00:48 UTC »
This should mainly affect produce, because since this has been foreseen, many companies have been stocking up on non-perishable goods--and do this as a matter of course, also. So some fruits and some veggies will be in low or no supply if the strike moves forward. Biden will not evoke emergency measures--at least not in the early going.
VenserSojo on September 30th, 2024 at 00:42 UTC »
This is either going to be a shitshow or completely irrelevant, no real in between.