Thousands Strike – Telemundo Bay Area 48
Tens of thousands of longshoremen went on strike at midnight ET, shutting down major ports on the East and Gulf coasts and disrupting deliveries of everything from agricultural products to auto parts.
Consumers are unlikely to feel the impact unless the strike lasts for several weeks because businesses and logistics companies have taken precautionary measures to mitigate the impact as the Christmas shopping season begins.
But a work stoppage could cost the U.S. economy from several hundred million dollars to $4.5 billion a day, analysts and business groups say. The cost of rerouting goods to longer routes will be passed on to consumers.
Ports handle about half of US seaborne imports. According to various estimates, the strike involves between 25,000 and 50,000 members of the International Longshoremen’s Association. In total, the ILA has 85,000 members. Union leaders argue that major global freight carriers have made huge profits since supply chain problems during the pandemic drove up fares, and say workers have not shared enough of those gains.
In a video posted to an ILA Instagram account, Harold Jay Daggett addressed unionized workers at Maher Terminals in Elizabeth, New Jersey.
“What we’re doing here will go down in history,” he said.
“They can’t survive long,” he added.
THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE WORKERS
The strike ends months of rhetoric between the union and the United States Shipping Alliance (USMX), which represents major shipping and port operators. The union is seeking raises as well as restrictions on automation at ports that it says could cost jobs. The two parties had not negotiated in the days before the possible strike.
“The carriers represented by USMX want to enjoy the rich billions of dollars in profits they are making in 2024, while offering ILA dockworkers an unacceptable pay package that we reject,” the union said in a statement Monday.
Meanwhile, USMX said it traded offers with the union and hoped to avoid a work stoppage.
“Our offer will increase wages by nearly 50%, triple employer contributions to employee retirement plans, enhance health care options and maintain the current language around automation and semi-automation,” he said in press release.
Several industries are poised to strike, having pre-ordered goods when it became clear the strike could start as early as Tuesday, but analysts expect more serious repercussions if it lasts several weeks or longer. Trucking and other logistics companies have been scrambling in recent days to get as much product as possible out of ports in anticipation of a possible strike.
The United Airlines union will announce the decision this Wednesday after a voting process.
New York and New Jersey’s massive port operations are the hardest hit, with about 4,500 workers. New York Gov. Kathy Hotchul in a press release urged the two sides to reach an agreement, but that preparations had been made to keep the shelves full.
“In preparation for this moment, New York City is working around the clock to ensure that our grocery stores and medical facilities have the essential products they need,” he said. “It is critical that USMX and the ILA quickly reach a fair agreement that respects workers and keeps commerce flowing through our ports. In the meantime, we will continue our efforts to minimize disruption to New Yorkers.”
Business groups, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, have urged President Joe Biden to intervene using the Taft-Hartley Act of 1947. Under that authority, Biden could seek a so-called 80-day grace period that would force longshoremen to stay at work.
But while the White House has been in contact with the ILA and USMX in recent days, Biden said he is not seeking to invoke the law. An intervention could also disrupt union relations 35 days before Election Day, as Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris seeks to maximize her support for former Republican President Donald Trump.
“Because this is collective bargaining, I don’t believe in Taft-Hartley,” Biden told reporters on Sunday.
This article was originally published in English on NBCNews. click here to read it.