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Date: October 01, 2024 at 11:37:33
From: old timer, [DNS_Address]
Subject: Port strike freezes shipping on East Coast, dealing blow to economy |
URL: Port strike freezes shipping on East Coast, dealing blow to economy |
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Port strike freezes shipping on East Coast, dealing blow to economy
Longshoremen’s union walkout follows last-minute efforts by the White
House to avert a strike.
Striking longshoremen picket in Baltimore on Tuesday. (Pete Voelker for
The Washington Post)
By Ian Duncan, David J. Lynch, Dana Munro and Julie Zauzmer Weil
Updated October 1, 2024 at 12:49 p.m. EDT|Published October 1, 2024 at
12:23 a.m. EDT
Tens of thousands of dockworkers launched a strike at ports along the
East Coast and the Gulf of Mexico on Tuesday, stranding stacks of
shipping containers on docks and idling ships outside harbors in a threat
to the economy just five weeks before the election.
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The strike caused immediate disruptions at ports that handle more than
half of the United States’ trade in cargo containers. The effects are
expected to ripple through the country, costing at least hundreds of
millions of dollars a day and getting worse each day the longshoremen
remain off the job.
It was unclear early Tuesday what the next steps might be in resolving the
dispute between the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) and
shippers and port operators.
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The U.S. Maritime Alliance (USMX), which represents the companies, said
Monday just hours before a midnight deadline that negotiators traded
proposals in recent days and that it was offering 50 percent raises. The
alliance, whose members include large European and Asian shipping lines
such as Maersk and Evergreen, said it was seeking a contract extension to
allow talks to continue.
Harold Daggett, the union’s president, has said the greed of international
shipping lines would be to blame for his members going on strike. The
union contends its members deserve a greater share of the hundreds of
billions in profits operators have made in recent years, especially after
they worked through the coronavirus pandemic.
Daggett addressed workers outside the Maher Terminal in New Jersey on
Tuesday morning, according to a video clip shared by the union on
Facebook. The union represents 47,000 longshoremen who are
responsible for loading and unloading ships, as well as maintaining
equipment.
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“Nothing’s going to move without us,” Daggett said, pledging that the
union would be victorious. “They can’t survive too long.”
The effects of the strike were immediately apparent Tuesday, with 38
container ships waiting at anchorages offshore, compared with just three
Sunday, according to data firm Everstream Analytics. Together they are
carrying the equivalent of almost 270,000 twenty-foot long containers.
The Stadt Dresden, a Portuguese-flagged container ship, appeared to be
one of the first to change its route due the strike, skipping a stop in
Savannah, Ga., and heading for Europe, according to Everstream.
Dockworkers go on strike at U.S. ports
0:27
Tens of thousands of dockworkers across the U.S. went on strike on Oct. 1
after a contract negotiation deadline passed. (Video: AP)
As the strike began, a small group of longshoremen teeming with energy
tapped their signs together in a parking lot by the Port of Baltimore’s
Seagirt Marine Terminal near midnight.
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They raised signs above their heads that read, “Profit Over People is
Unacceptable” and “Machines Don’t Feed Families.” Their strike solicited
honks of solidarity from bus drivers, taxi drivers and a vehicle hauling
several cars out of the port.
In Newark, the heart of the union, the atmosphere was festive nearly 12
hours into the strike. More than 30 longshoremen in bright-yellow traffic
safety vests picketed on a roadside at the port, in the shadow of a
massive tower of empty shipping containers. A pile of pizza boxes arrived,
and every slice was eaten within minutes.
Lino Vaz, a union shop steward, said he was delighted that every one of
the employees he represents showed up this morning to support the
strike. He started working at the port almost 25 years ago, at the urging of
a nephew in the job.
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“Everybody is concerned for our future. We want to fight for our future
and the future of our jobs,” Vaz said. “This is not an easy job. A lot of
people don’t understand this job — how dangerous it is sometimes, how
many hours we work.”
President Joe Biden backed the striking longshoremen Tuesday, calling on
the maritime alliance to cut a fair deal. He highlighted record profits at the
shipping lines it represents, along with high executive pay and payouts to
shareholders, as well as foreign ownership.
“It’s only fair that workers, who put themselves at risk during the
pandemic to keep ports open, see a meaningful increase in their wages as
well,” Biden said in a statement.
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On Monday, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce called on Biden to seek to
block the walkout by invoking the Taft-Hartley Act, which would impose
an 80-day “cooling off” period for negotiations. But officials have
consistently said the president does not plan to use his legal powers to try
to force the parties to talk and end a strike, strengthening the union’s
position.
The strike is the first such action by the ILA since 1977, when
longshoremen stopped work for more than six weeks and trade was a
smaller share of the overall economy. It comes at a moment of heightened
militancy at unions across a range of industries, with autoworkers,
Hollywood actors and Boeing machinists all launching major strikes in the
past year. But unlike some of those other disputes, the longshoremen’s
strike is likely to be directly felt by a broad swath of the public as imports
of everything from cars to food are disrupted. Analysts expect the cost to
the economy to quickly climb into the billions.
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With ILA officials threatening to strike for months, many big companies
have had time to prepare, ordering goods for the holiday shopping season
earlier than usual and diverting shipments to the West Coast. White House
officials say they are confident supply chains can weather the strike, at
least for a while. That view is shared by independent analysts.
“It really is just a question of duration,” said Bruce Chan, a transportation
analyst at investment firm Stifel. “If we see a strike that lasts for a less
than a week, we think it’s relatively digestible for the system.”
Port workers in Baltimore on Monday prepare to strike before midnight.
(Pete Voelker for The Washington Post)
Ports began closing their gates Monday evening as the strike loomed,
after adding extra hours in recent days to give truckers as much time as
possible to whisk away containers. The container terminal in Baltimore,
which is still recovering from a bridge collapse in March, handled 3,100
trucks Friday and stayed open an hour late on Monday.
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New York officials said Monday that approximately 100,000 shipping
containers will be stranded on the docks at the Port of New York and New
Jersey for the duration of the strike. Some three dozen cargo ships are
expected at the port in the next week and will have to remain at
anchorages, officials said. The port is the largest of about three dozen
that are affected by the strike.
The union says its members will continue to handle military cargo and
cruise ships. West Coast longshoremen are represented by a separate
union, and ports in California, Oregon and Washington state remain open.
Oil and gas terminals are operated by separate work crews that are not
heavily unionized and will not be affected. High-value shipments such as
pharmaceuticals are often transported by air, an option more importers
could resort to.
But with major ports closed, including New York, Baltimore, Norfolk,
Savannah and Houston, the disruptions will be inescapable. Shortages
and higher prices may land on smaller retailers that have had less chances
than large chains to develop workarounds.
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Estimates of the economic impact have varied, but an analysis by the
Conference Board, a think tank, updated an approach used by
congressional budget forecasters and concluded that a week-long strike
would lead to $3.78 billion in economic losses.
“The longer it goes the more expensive it becomes and that’s when it’s
very noticeable to the consumer,” said Erin McLaughlin, a senior
economist at the Conference Board. But, at least initially, McLaughlin said,
“it’s not like we’re not going to have paper towels and toilet paper at the
grocery store.”
There are particular sectors that could be vulnerable. Perishable items
like food could go bad — the ports handle 75 percent of all banana
imports, for example. A lengthier strike could affect the auto industry,
which relies on well-timed deliveries of parts for manufacturing. Four of
the nation’s five biggest ports for receiving imported cars are among
those shut down.
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The White House says Biden has no desire to end the strike using Taft-
Hartley authority, which allows the president to seek a court injunction to
suspend a strike.
“It’s collective bargaining. I don’t believe in Taft-Hartley,” Biden told
reporters Sunday.
The longshoremen’s current contract, agreed to in 2018, provides top
wages of $39 an hour. The union is seeking significant pay raises after
rates in the previous deal failed to keep up with inflation. Protections
against the automation of port work have also been a major sticking point.
The union broke off talks in June after alleging that a port in Alabama was
using an automated gate in violation of the labor contract.
With the sides dug in, analysts broadly expect that the White House will
ultimately have to step in as the economic costs of the strike grow.
With its potential for shortages and price increases, the strike poses
dangers for the presidential election bid of Vice President Kamala Harris.
Harris and former president Donald Trump, the Republican nominee, have
not weighed in on the strike. But even if Biden made use of emergency
powers, the sides would still have to resolve their underlying disputes —
and workers could find disruptive ways short of striking to continue
protesting.
“The parties are very far apart,” Chan said. “We think it’s going to be a
fairly acrimonious negotiation.”
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[441746] [441747] [441761] [441749] [441751] [441801] [441802] [441757] [441799] [441811] [441848] |
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441746 |
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Date: October 01, 2024 at 12:12:56
From: mitra, [DNS_Address]
Subject: Re: Port strike freezes shipping on East Coast, dealing blow to .. |
URL: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/oct/01/us-port-workers-strike-ila-union |
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Only if you consider the economy to be solely dependent
upon the quarterly report free of the people who
actually make it happen.
Collective bargaining acts as a check on the runaway
arrogance of corporate interest. It is absolutely true
corporate profit has increased and wages and benefits
have not moved in concert.
What is good for the worker is good for the economy.
The worker is the economy.
"Ocean carriers have enjoyed “record profits” since the
pandemic, Biden added, “and in some cases profits grew
in excess of 800% compared to their profits prior to
the pandemic. Executive compensation has grown in line
with those profits and profits have been returned to
shareholders at record rates.
“It’s only fair that workers, who put themselves at
risk during the pandemic to keep ports open, see a
meaningful increase in their wages as well.”
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[441747] [441761] [441749] [441751] [441801] [441802] [441757] [441799] [441811] [441848] |
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441747 |
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Date: October 01, 2024 at 13:13:46
From: old timer, [DNS_Address]
Subject: Re: Port strike freezes shipping on East Coast, dealing blow to .. |
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even the economists in your article agreed there could be economic
damage
“As workers joined picket lines at ports including Philadelphia, Houston
and Virginia in the early hours, economists have warned that failure to end
the strike swiftly could lead to shortages and higher prices.”
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Responses:
[441761] [441749] [441751] [441801] [441802] [441757] [441799] [441811] [441848] |
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441761 |
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Date: October 02, 2024 at 08:14:00
From: Redhart, [DNS_Address]
Subject: Re: Port strike freezes shipping on East Coast, dealing blow to .. |
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short term damage perhaps, then long term advantage for
the middle class and economy as those families can
actually use their increased wages in the marketplace.
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Responses:
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441749 |
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Date: October 01, 2024 at 15:40:42
From: mitra, [DNS_Address]
Subject: Re: Port strike freezes shipping on East Coast, dealing blow to .. |
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I did not disagree there might be damage. You
acknowledged no benefit to checking corporate greed.
And then did it again.
Workers should not be slaves. Failure to treat workers
with respect is more damaging.
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Responses:
[441751] [441801] [441802] [441757] [441799] [441811] [441848] |
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441751 |
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Date: October 01, 2024 at 16:41:59
From: old timer, [DNS_Address]
Subject: Re: Port strike freezes shipping on East Coast, dealing blow to .. |
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didn’t comment at all on corporate greed as the topic was more about the
damage to our economy. but isn’t it a bit ridiculous to say workers should
not be slaves when we are talking about some of the highest paid manual
laborers in the country?
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[441801] [441802] [441757] [441799] [441811] [441848] |
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441801 |
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Date: October 02, 2024 at 22:13:46
From: mitra, [DNS_Address]
Subject: Re: Port strike freezes shipping strike for humans |
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800% profits and no increase in salary...
Again.
The port workers do skilled, dangerous jobs. I once
worked for a drainage company and handled the invoices
from offloading ships. It's work that deserves
respect, and these people aren't just striking for
money, they are striking for their livelihoods as
robotics threatens to put them out of their houses,
health insurance, neighborhoods, lives.
Get ready, they are the forefront of a new labor
movement.
I, not robot.
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441802 |
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Date: October 02, 2024 at 23:49:01
From: old timer, [DNS_Address]
Subject: Re: Port strike freezes shipping strike for humans |
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not true, they were getting raises under the existing contract and the
company had offered a 50% raise over the new 6 year contract and the
union turned it down. as far as automation the docks don’t work like they
did in 1900 or 1950 and like everywhere else more automation is coming
to the docks. one sure way to push for more automation would be to go on
strike demanding a 77% pay raise
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441757 |
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Date: October 01, 2024 at 23:30:12
From: ao, [DNS_Address]
Subject: Re: Port strike freezes shipping on East Coast, dealing blow to .. |
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“with top pay climbing from $39 an hour to $69”
Top pay.. ie, the biggest dog in the yard, and you think $39 is “some of
the highest paid manual laborers in the country?” Really? Bro.. you are so
lost.. somewhere way over the other side of the rainbow.. can’t find your
way home.. lost!
But that does say oodles..
Carpenter.. union wages.. base pay.. the lowest guy on the ladder.. is
over $50..
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441799 |
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Date: October 02, 2024 at 22:05:59
From: mitra, [DNS_Address]
Subject: Re: Port strike freezes shipping on East Coast, dealing blow to .. |
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Isn't it interesting thatOT never acknowledges when
wrong?
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[441811] [441848] |
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441811 |
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Date: October 03, 2024 at 10:24:44
From: old timer, [DNS_Address]
Subject: Re: Port strike freezes shipping on East Coast, dealing blow to .. |
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what was i wrong about? i said they were some of the highest paid manual
laborers in the country which is true. i said they wanted a 77% raise
which is true. are you ready to admit these workers aren’t being treated
like slaves?
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441848 |
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Date: October 03, 2024 at 19:02:53
From: ryan, [DNS_Address]
Subject: Re: Port strike freezes shipping on East Coast, dealing blow to .. |
URL: https://thehill.com/business/4915046-port-strike-deal-reached/ |
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Port workers reach tentative agreement to end strike
by Tara Suter and Sylvan Lane - 10/03/24 7:08 PM ET
The International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) union and the U.S. Maritime Alliance (USMX), an association of companies that operate East and Gulf Coast ports, reached a tentative agreement Thursday to end a two-day strike.
The ILA announced Thursday night that the USMX agreed to boost pay for port workers and that union members would return to work immediately.
“The International Longshoremen’s Association and the United States Maritime Alliance, Ltd. have reached a tentative agreement on wages and have agreed to extend the Master Contract until January 15, 2025 to return to the bargaining table to negotiate all other outstanding issues. Effective immediately, all current job actions will cease and all work covered by the Master Contract will resume,” the two organizations said in a joint statement obtained Thursday by The Hill.
The agreement suspends a strike that could have had serious consequences for the U.S. economy and posed political issues for President Biden and Vice President Harris, who stood staunchly behind the striking workers.
Experts projected the strike could cost the U.S. economy $5 billion per day as imports such as food, auto parts, furniture and other key goods remained sealed in containers that would remain unemptied by ILA members.
The ILA strike also posed a serious threat to U.S. exporters and prompted waves of panic-buying, though experts said shortages wouldn’t be apparent for weeks. Businesses had also been bracing for this strike for months, shipping goods early or through West Coast ports.
“Companies are relying on pre-built inventory and making adjustments to manage the initial disruption,” said Madhav Durbha, group vice president of consumer packaged goods and manufacturing at the supply chain planning solutions company RELEX, before the deal was reached.
“Perishable food items are the main risk area, but there are no major shortages yet,” Durbha added.
The agreement also punts what could have been a major political headache for Biden and Harris, who faced pressure from businesses and trade groups to break the strike.
Critics of the ILA urged Biden to invoke the Taft-Hartley Act, which empowers the president to suspend for 80 days a strike that can seriously threaten the U.S. economy. Biden, however, said he would refuse to invoke Taft-Hartley and urged USMX to heed calls for higher pay.
In a Thursday statement, Biden praised the ILA and USMX “for coming together to reopen the East Coast and Gulf ports.”
“Today’s tentative agreement on a record wage and an extension of the collective bargaining process represents critical progress towards a strong contract,” Biden said.
“I congratulate the dockworkers from the ILA, who deserve a strong contract after sacrificing so much to keep our ports open during the pandemic. And I applaud the port operators and carriers who are members of the US Maritime Alliance for working hard and putting a strong offer on the table.”
Updated at 7:28 p.m. EDT. Taylor Giorno contributed.
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