Longshoremen on the East Coast and Gulf of Mexico in the United States, represented by the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA), announced their intention to launch a strike this Tuesday that could paralyze a dozen strategic ports in the country.
In a statement on Sunday, the union said the employer, the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX), which represents several companies, “refuses to address half a century of wage exploitation” in negotiations. collectives in progress.
The union represents longshore workers at 36 facilities in 14 ports from New England to Texas, such as Houston, Baltimore, New York, Savannah, Boston and Charleston.
Striking ports account for about half of U.S. shipping. JP Morgan analysts estimate that a strike could cost the US economy $5 billion per day. A one-day strike could take four to six days to resolve, according to analysts at Sea-Intelligence, a maritime consulting firm.
The business group warned Monday that the work stoppage would “cripple U.S. commerce,” halting imports of food, pharmaceuticals, consumer electronics and clothing. The union said it would continue to work with the loading of military equipment.
Adam Kamins, an economist at Moody’s Analytics, explained in the Financial Times that “a disruption of one or two weeks will cause some delays, but the overall impact will be minimal outside of a handful of heavily port-dependent areas, like Savannah.” , Georgia.
“But if it lasts longer, there will be shortages and upward pressure on prices. This would be particularly problematic for food and cars, which are particularly dependent on ports being closed.”
Joe Biden’s support
US President Joe Biden said on Sunday he did not intend to intervene to prevent the strike. “It’s collective bargaining. “I don’t believe in Taft-Hartley,” he said, referring to a provision he can invoke to force workers to continue working for national security reasons.
White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre explained Monday that Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and Labor Secretary Julie Su are involved in negotiations for the two sides to reach an agreement. .
“We support collective bargaining. This is the best way for American workers and employers to reach a fair deal. “We encourage all parties to come to the negotiating table and negotiate in good faith,” he said. He urged employers and the union to “reach a fair and speedy agreement”.
The union denounces the refusal of employers to negotiate salary increases and paralyzes automation projects in ports, while companies assure that this organization refuses to negotiate.
“We are prepared to fight as long as necessary, to remain on strike as long as necessary,” said ILA President Harold Daggett, calling on the USMX to “meet our demands for this strike to take effect.” END “.
