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they are also pushing for either no or little automation
Posted on: October 1, 2024 at 12:26:10 CT
Ace UNC
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PHILADELPHIA (AP) — From Maine to Texas, dockworkers at 36 ports across the eastern United States are on strike for the first time in decades, a work stoppage that could snarl supply chains and cause shortages and higher prices if it stretches on for more than a few weeks.
Workers began walking picket lines early Tuesday in a strike over wages and the ports’ use of automation, though some progress was reported in negotiations over a new contract. The existing contract between the ports and about 45,000 members of the International Longshoremen’s Association expired at midnight.
The strike, coming weeks before a tight presidential election, could become a factor in the race if shortages begin to affect many voters. Pressure could eventually grow for the Biden administration to help facilitate a settlement, though the administration has said it doesn’t plan to intervene beyond encouraging both sides to reach an agreement.
In early picketing, workers outside the Port of Philadelphia walked in a circle and chanted, “No work without a fair contract.” The union, which is striking for the first time since 1977, posted message boards on the side of a truck reading: “Automation Hurts Families: ILA Stands For Job Protection.”
Boise Butler, president of the union local, asserted that the workers want a fair contract that doesn’t allow for the automation of their jobs. The shipping companies, he argued, made billions during the pandemic by charging high prices.
“Now,” Butler said, “we want them to pay back. They’re going to pay back.”
He warned that the union plans to strike for as long as it needs to achieve a fair deal and has valuable leverage over the companies.
“This is not something that you start and you stop,” Butler said. “We’re not weak,” he added, pointing to the union’s vital importance to the nation’s economy.
At Port Houston, at least 50 workers started picketing around midnight local time carrying signs saying, “No Work Without a Fair Contract.”
The U.S. Maritime Alliance, which represents the ports, said Monday evening that both sides had given some ground on their previous wage demands. But no deal was reached.
Labor experts suggest that the striking workers may wield the upper hand in the standoff. The union’s most recent contract with the alliance was negotiated before the COVID-19 pandemic. Factors ranging from the effects of inflation to increased workloads from pandemic-era demands to a more generous contract achieved by the dockworkers’ West Coast counterparts have boosted their standing to demand higher pay, better workplace protections and a slowdown in the automation of work functions.
Workers began walking picket lines early Tuesday in a strike over wages and the ports’ use of automation, though some progress was reported in negotiations over a new contract. The existing contract between the ports and about 45,000 members of the International Longshoremen’s Association expired at midnight.
The strike, coming weeks before a tight presidential election, could become a factor in the race if shortages begin to affect many voters. Pressure could eventually grow for the Biden administration to help facilitate a settlement, though the administration has said it doesn’t plan to intervene beyond encouraging both sides to reach an agreement.
In early picketing, workers outside the Port of Philadelphia walked in a circle and chanted, “No work without a fair contract.” The union, which is striking for the first time since 1977, posted message boards on the side of a truck reading: “Automation Hurts Families: ILA Stands For Job Protection.”
Boise Butler, president of the union local, asserted that the workers want a fair contract that doesn’t allow for the automation of their jobs. The shipping companies, he argued, made billions during the pandemic by charging high prices.
“Now,” Butler said, “we want them to pay back. They’re going to pay back.”
He warned that the union plans to strike for as long as it needs to achieve a fair deal and has valuable leverage over the companies.
“This is not something that you start and you stop,” Butler said. “We’re not weak,” he added, pointing to the union’s vital importance to the nation’s economy.
At Port Houston, at least 50 workers started picketing around midnight local time carrying signs saying, “No Work Without a Fair Contract.”
The U.S. Maritime Alliance, which represents the ports, said Monday evening that both sides had given some ground on their previous wage demands. But no deal was reached.
Labor experts suggest that the striking workers may wield the upper hand in the standoff. The union’s most recent contract with the alliance was negotiated before the COVID-19 pandemic. Factors ranging from the effects of inflation to increased workloads from pandemic-era demands to a more generous contract achieved by the dockworkers’ West Coast counterparts have boosted their standing to demand higher pay, better workplace protections and a slowdown in the automation of work functions.
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they are also pushing for either no or little automation - Ace AU - 10/1 12:26:10
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