Current:Home > MyPorts seek order to force dockworkers to bargaining table as strike looms at East and Gulf ports-DB Wealth Institute B2 Expert Reviews
Ports seek order to force dockworkers to bargaining table as strike looms at East and Gulf ports
View Date:2024-12-23 15:22:31
DETROIT (AP) — With a strike deadline looming, the group representing East and Gulf Coast ports is asking a federal agency to make the Longshoremen’s union come to the bargaining table to negotiate a new contract.
The U.S. Maritime Alliance says it filed an unfair labor practice charge with the National Labor Relations Board alleging that the International Longshoremen’s Association is not bargaining in good faith.
The alliance said in a prepared statement Thursday that it filed the charge “due to the ILA’s repeated refusal to come to the table and bargain on a new master contract.”
The ports are asking for immediate relief, an order requiring the union to resume bargaining. It was unclear just how fast the NLRB might act on the request. A message was left seeking comment from the agency. Its unlikely that the NLRB will rule on the complaint before the strike deadline, and with no talks scheduled, a strike appears to be likely.
The move comes just four days before the ILA’s six-year contract with the ports expires, and the union representing 45,000 dockworkers from Maine to Texas says it will go on strike at 12:01 a.m. on Tuesday.
The two sides haven’t bargained since June in a dispute largely over wages and a union-proposed ban on increased automation of port cranes, gates and trucks that could cost humans their jobs.
A message also was left Thursday seeking comment from the union.
“USMX has been clear that we value the work of the ILA and have great respect for its members,” the alliance statement said. “We have a shared history of working together and are committed to bargaining.”
In early bargaining industry analysts say the union sought 77% pay raises over six years to make up for inflation and give workers a chunk of the billions made by shipping companies since the coronavirus pandemic.
The union says both sides have communicated multiple times in recent weeks, but a stalemate remains because the Maritime Alliance is offering a pay increase that’s unacceptable.
Top-scale port workers now earn a base pay of $39 an hour, or just over $81,000 a year. But with overtime and other benefits, some can make in excess of $200,000 annually. Neither the union nor the ports would discuss pay levels. But a 2019-2020 report by the Waterfront Commission, which oversees New York Harbor, said about a third of the longshoremen based there made $200,000 or more.
In a statement issued Monday, the ILA said it refutes claims it attributed to the alliance that the union’s demands amount to a wage increase of over 75% over the life of the contract.
“Deceiving the public with misleading calculations is not going to help get an agreement with the ILA,” President Harold Daggett said in the statement issued on Monday.
A strike would shut down as many as 36 ports that handle nearly half of the cargo going in and out of the U.S. on ships.
If a strike were resolved within a few weeks, consumers probably wouldn’t notice any major shortages of retail goods. But a strike that persists for more than a month would likely cause a shortage of some consumer products, although most holiday retail goods have already arrived from overseas.
A prolonged strike would almost certainly hurt the U.S. economy. Even a brief strike would cause disruptions. Heavier vehicular traffic would be likely at key points around the country as cargo was diverted to West Coast ports, where workers belong to a different union not involved in the strike. And once the longshoremen’s union eventually returned to work, a ship backlog would likely result. For every day of a port strike, experts say it takes four to six days to clear it up.
If a strike occurs, it would be the first national work stoppage by the ILA since 1977.
veryGood! (3)
Related
- Suicides in the US military increased in 2023, continuing a long-term trend
- Taylor Swift's Mom Andrea Swift Wears Sweet Tribute to Travis Kelce at Chiefs Game
- Chappell Roan wants privacy amid newfound fame, 'predatory' fan behavior. Here's why.
- Taylor Swift rocks Chiefs T-shirt dress at Bengals game to support Travis Kelce
- Bo the police K-9, who located child taken at knifepoint, wins Hero Dog Awards 2024
- Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's crossword, Who's Your Friend Who Likes to Play
- When are the 2024 Emmy Awards? Date, start time, nominees, where to watch and stream
- Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Breakup Song
- Army veteran reunites with his K9 companion, who served with him in Afghanistan
- What We Do in the Shadows Gifts for All…but Not You, Guillermo
Ranking
- Women’s baseball players could soon have a league of their own again
- 2024 Emmys: Baby Reindeer's Nava Mau Details Need for Transgender Representation in Tearful Interview
- What did the Texans get for Deshaun Watson? Full trade details of megadeal with Browns
- Laverne Cox, 'Baby Reindeer' star Nava Mau tear up over making trans history at Emmys
- Gerry Faust, former Notre Dame football coach, dies at 89
- Mike Tyson says he's training hard for Jake Paul fight: 'It's hard to walk right now'
- 3 dead, 2 injured in Arizona tractor-trailer crash
- Trump is safe after shots were reported in his vicinity in Florida, Secret Service and campaign say
Recommendation
-
Ryan Reynolds Makes Dream Come True for 9-Year-Old Fan Battling Cancer
-
King Charles III and Prince William wish Prince Harry a happy birthday amid family rift
-
Why Sofía Vergara Was Surprised by Her History-Making Emmy Nomination for Griselda
-
Privacy audit: Check permissions, lock your phone and keep snoops out
-
Dozens indicted over NYC gang warfare that led to the deaths of four bystanders
-
How a small town in Kansas found itself at the center of abortion’s national moment
-
2024 Emmys: Jesse Tyler Ferguson's Hair Transformation Will Make You Do a Double Take
-
Stephen King, Flavor Flav, more 'love' Taylor Swift after Trump 'hate' comment