Fears of a strike at US east and gulf coast ports from October 1st are looming large, as the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) and the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX) are seemingly no nearer reaching an agreement over new contracts.
In a recent letter to members, the ILA’s management have seemingly doubled down on the threat of a strike stating that the USMX’s “corporate greed has made them delusional” and that their recent press release was “nothing more than propaganda”.
As ever, wages are at the heart of the dispute, but the union are staunchly opposed to any form of semi or full automation, arguing that USMX should have seeked agreement with the union before investing in new equipment.
The ILA also argue that existing healthcare provisions are inadequate, the proposal to put cameras in workstations is a question of control and not safety, and are seeking a resolution to what they describe as a “constant battle over pensions”.
Negotiations have broken down between the two parties and the existing contracts are currently set to expire on 30th September, a day before the proposed strike date.
The union represents more than 85,000 workers and a strike would effectively halt operations at 36 ports on the US east and gulf coast, which would cripple ocean freight services in and out of the country.
The team at Killick Martin are monitoring developments closely.
