Americas News
US Port Workers on Strike After Contract Expires
Dockworkers at US ports from Maine down to Texas are now on strike after the labour contract for 45,000 International Longshoremen's Association workers expired at midnight.
A total of 36 ports will be affected, in the first ILA strike since 1977.
The union had presented an opening offer of a 77% pay rise over the life of a new six-year contract.
"It's disgraceful that most of these foreign-owned shipping companies are engaged in a 'Make and Take' operation: they want to make their billion-dollar profits at United States ports, and off the backs of American ILA longshore workers, and take those earnings out of this country and into the pockets of foreign conglomerates," the ILA said in a statement on its website on Monday.
"Meanwhile, ILA dedicated longshore workers continue to be crippled by inflation due to USMX's unfair wage packages.
"In addition, the shippers are gouging their customers that result in increased costs to American consumers.
"They are now charging $30,000 for a full container, a whopping increase from $6,000 per container just a few weeks ago.
"In just a short time, they went from 6K, to 18K, then 24K and now $30,000.
"It's unheard of and they are doubling their $30,000 fee stuffing the same container from multiple shippers.
"They are killing the customers."
The strike's impact will mostly be on the container and vehicle carrier segments.
Bunker suppliers are expecting a significant temporary drop in sales at the ports affected. But much will depend on the duration of the strike; while longer action going beyond two weeks would cause profound disruption across global supply chains, a shorter strike would be likely to leave ships just waiting outside ports for it to end.
