25 Sep 2024 | 09:15 PM UTC
US: Unionized dockworkers threaten to strike at ports along East and Gulf coasts from Oct. 1
Unionized dockworkers threaten to strike and cause disruptions at ports along US East and Gulf coasts from Oct. 1 amid contract dispute.
Dockworkers affiliated with the International Longshoremen's Association (ILA) have threatened to stage a strike from Oct. 1. The purpose of the threatened labor action is to demand higher wages, improved benefits, and job protections against further automation of port operations. Contract negotiations between the ILA and the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX) stalled in June, raising the likelihood that the sides will fail to avert the threatened work stoppage. Unless averted, the strike will reportedly shut down cargo operations at 36 ports on the US East and Gulf coasts from Maine to Texas, including those in the following locations:
Boston, Massachusetts
New York-New Jersey area
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Baltimore, Maryland
Wilmington, Delaware
Norfolk, Virginia
Wilmington, North Carolina
Charleston, South Carolina
Savannah, Georgia
Jacksonville, Florida
Miami, Florida
Tampa, Florida
Mobile, Alabama
New Orleans, Louisiana
Houston, Texas
The 36 ports that stand to be affected by the strike handle about half of the country's vessel cargo, including agricultural, automobile, pharmaceutical, and various consumer goods. If the work stoppage occurs, significant shipping delays and increased shipping prices will likely materialize as shippers reroute cargo to ports on the US West Coast. Consequent supply chain disruptions will also likely occur if the strike goes ahead and will probably worsen the longer the work stoppage lasts; even a short work stoppage could cause cargo backlogs that last significantly longer than the labor action itself. Retail shortages and higher consumer prices may occur, particularly in the event of a prolonged strike.
Dockworkers and other individuals may stage demonstrations over the coming days regardless of whether the strike goes ahead on Oct. 1. Authorities will likely deploy a heightened security presence to the sites of any related rallies. Localized transport and business disruptions may affect the vicinities of protest sites, and skirmishes between protesters and police cannot be ruled out.
Reconfirm maritime shipments and supply chain logistics scheduled from Oct. 1 onward. Allow additional time for maritime shipping if the strike goes ahead. Consider rescheduling or rerouting time-sensitive maritime shipments. Avoid any demonstrations that materialize. Immediately depart the area at the first sign that any security disturbance may occur. Strictly heed all instructions from law enforcement officers.
President Joe Biden could avert the strike or halt it once it starts by invoking the Taft-Hartley Act of 1947, which provides presidents the ability to impose an 80-day cooling-off period and force workers back to their jobs while collective bargaining continues. However, an unspecified Biden administration official asserted in mid-September that Biden was "not considering" breaking the strike through the invocation of the Taft-Hartley Act.
If the strike goes ahead on Oct. 1, the labor action would be the ILA's first since 1977 to impact cargo operations at all East and Gulf coast ports.
