Fears continue over a US port strike on the US East and Gulf Coasts going ahead in the new year, while President-elect Donald Trump has recently come down heavily on the side of the union.
Talks broke down between the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) and the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX) last month, hampering the chances of negotiations being finalised ahead of the upcoming January deadline.
October’ strike was called off after three days when the parties agreed a wages deal. However, the ILA only agreed to return to work until January 15th as there were outstanding issues to resolve, and a disagreement over port automation has now become the major hurdle.
Last week, following his meeting with ILA President Harold Daggett, the president-elect stated on social media that the money that could be saved by port automation “is nowhere near the distress, hurt and harm it causes for American workers, in this case, our longshoremen”.
He added: “Foreign companies have made a fortune in the US by giving them access to our markets. They shouldn’t be looking for every last penny knowing how many families are hurt.”
“They’ve got record profits, and I’d rather these foreign companies spend it on the great men and women on our docks than machinery, which is expensive and which will constantly have to be replaced. In the end, there’s no gain for them…”
Whether Trump speaking out in favour of the union harms or helps the chances of avoiding a strike remains to be seen.
