With 36 hours to go before the end of the ILA-USMX contract today evening, the 85,000 members of the International Longshoremen’s Association, joined in solidarity by tens of thousands of dockworkers and maritime workers around the world, will hit the picket lines at 12:01 am on Tuesday, October 1 and strike at all Atlantic and Gulf Coast ports from Maine to Texas, the ILA warns.
“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 International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) said in a statement.
With a strike deadline looming, the ILA will update the public and media on any new developments tomorrow morning by 11 am.
“We have no information to release about locations of pickets or protests beginning at 12:01 a.m. on Tuesday, October 1, 2024,” it said in a news update in the social media.
The dispute is worrying businesses that rely on ocean shipping to secure crucial imports.
The container giant Maersk warns that a potential ILA labor disruption will have impacts on supply chains, leading to delays in cargo movement, increased costs, and logistical challenges for businesses relying on U.S. East Coast and Gulf ports.
Longer labor dispute durations may exacerbate disruptions, affecting import and export activities, container availability, and overall operational efficiency.
The United States Maritime Alliance says it filed an Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) charge with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) alleging that the International Longshoremen’s Association refused to come to the table and bargain on a new Master Contract.
“USMX has been clear that we value the work of the ILA and have great respect for its members. We have a shared history of working together and are committed to bargaining.
“Due to the ILA’s repeated refusal to come to the table and bargain on a new Master Contract, USMX filed an Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) charge with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) and requested immediate injunctive relief – requiring the Union to resume bargaining – so that we can negotiate a deal.”
The International Longshoremen’s Association said last week that it will “continue to honor its century-plus pledge to handle all military cargo,” even if there is a coast wide strike on October 1.
The union also emphasized the fact that it will continue to work passenger cruise vessels.
ILA President Daggett noted that ILA Longshore workers will continue to work passenger cruise vessels at all ILA ports, to not inconvenience the tens of thousands of Americans who have booked trips in advance.
“We understand that many families plan and pay for cruises vacations on passenger ships more than a year out, and we don’t want them to be disappointed or inconvenienced in any way,” said president Daggett. “For almost three years during the worst of the pandemic, the cruise ship industry was shut down, and our ILA rank-and-file members handling passenger cruise vessels lost a lot of manhours.”
