Unions: General strikes at U.S. East Coast ports imminent

[New Sancai Compilation First Edition] The International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) union said on September 29 that port strikes on the U.S. East Coast and Gulf of Mexico will begin on October 1, indicating that the actions taken may cause delays and disrupt supply. chain.

"The American Maritime Alliance ... refuses to address half a century of wage suppression," the union said in a statement. The United States Maritime Alliance (USMX) represents employers in the terminal industry along the Eastern and Gulf Coast.

USMX had no immediate comment.

If union members strike at ports from Maine to Texas, it would be the ILA's first coast-to-coast strike since 1977, affecting ports that handle about half of the nation's shipping.

One source said there were no talks on Sunday and no talks were currently planned before Monday's midnight deadline. The union previously said the strike would not affect military cargo shipments or cruise ship traffic.

The White House had no immediate comment on the union's statement. Earlier on Sunday, President Joe Biden said he did not plan to intervene to prevent a strike if longshoremen failed to secure new contracts by an Oct. 1 deadline.

"This is collective bargaining. I don't believe in Taft-Hartley," Biden told reporters. The president can intervene in labor disputes that threaten national security during an 80-day cooling-off period under the federal Taft-Hartley Act. Reuters first quoted a White House official on September 17 as saying that Biden did not intend to invoke the Taft-Hartley provisions. The strike could halt the flow of everything from food to cars at major ports - a dispute that could endanger jobs and stoke inflation just weeks before the U.S. presidential election.

The Business Roundtable, representing major U.S. business leaders, said it was "deeply concerned about possible strikes at East Coast and Gulf Coast ports."

The organization warned that the shutdown could cost the U.S. economy billions of dollars a day, "hurting American businesses, workers and consumers across the country. We urge both sides to reach an agreement before Monday night's deadline." For months, the union has threatened to close the 36 ports it covers if employers such as container ship operator Maersk and its North American APM Terminals don't significantly raise wages and halt terminal automation projects.

The dispute worries businesses that rely on sea transport to export goods or secure vital imports. Biden administration officials met with the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX) employer group on Friday and directly conveyed "their need to come to the table fairly, quickly and negotiate in good faith" - something the group had earlier told the international Message from labor associations. The USMX employers' group accused the ILA of refusing to negotiate.

(Compiled by: Wang Jimin)

(Editor: Jiang Qiming)

(Source of the article: Compiled and published by New Sancai)