Still No Progress As ILA Strike Looms
With time running out for the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) and United States Maritime Alliance (USMX) to come to terms on a new contract, prospects are looking increasingly bleak that ports all along the U.S. East & Gulf Coasts will avoid a strike.
The two sides still haven’t met for formal negotiations since June, and calls for White House intervention haven’t been answered. The ILA has repeatedly said they are ready to strike beginning on October 1, 2024. In a recent post to the ILA website, Executive Vice President Dennis Daggett said they remain committed to the strike if they don’t get what they’re asking for.
“Strikes are never easy, but in today’s world, with labor laws stacked against us and corporate greed at an all-time high, it remains one of the most powerful tools we have in our fight for justice,” Daggett said. “And make no mistake, we will be on the right side of history.”
For their part, the USMX has repeatedly said they are ready to resume negotiations when the ILA is ready to meet again. They reiterated that position in a statement on their website on Monday.
“Despite additional attempts by USMX to engage with the ILA and resume bargaining, we have been unable to schedule a meeting to continue negotiations on a new Master Contract,” the statement said. “We remain prepared to bargain at any time, but both sides must come to the table if we are going to reach a deal, and there is no indication that the ILA is interested in negotiating at this time.”
The White House has shown no indication that it is planning to step in to remedy the situation. And with a pivotal election approaching this November, enacting the Taft-Hartley act could stand to alienate union voters.
Meanwhile, some ports and ocean carriers have already started working on contingency plans in preparation for a strike. Ocean Network Express (ONE) also announced last week that it would stop taking new U.S. export bookings for refrigerated containers scheduled to arrive after September 30.
As the potential for the strike looms larger, please reach out to your Scarbrough representative with any questions regarding your shipments. Our expert team will help you find alternative solutions to your shipments, if necessary.
