As Strike Looms, Port Operators Ask Regulator to Force Dockworkers to Negotiate
The group that represents port terminal operators said the International Longshoremen’s Association was refusing to negotiate a new contract before a Monday deadline.The New York Times reports that the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) is facing accusations from port employers that it is refusing to negotiate a new contract before the Monday deadline. With a potential strike looming on the East and Gulf Coasts, the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX), which represents port terminal operators, has filed an “unfair labor practice” complaint with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). The USMX claims that the ILA has repeatedly refused to negotiate, and is asking the NLRB to rule that the union must engage in negotiations with the employers.
In response, the ILA has called the complaint a “publicity stunt” and accused the port employers of being “poor negotiating partners.” The union claims that the stalemate is due to the USMX offering an “unacceptable wage increase.” If a strike were to occur, it would shut down operations at ports from Maine to Texas, including the Port of New York and New Jersey, which is the third busiest in the country. Economists warn that even a short strike could have a significant impact on the economy.
While the Biden administration has stated that President Biden does not plan to use the Taft-Hartley Act to force dockworkers back to work, experts believe that he may have to invoke the act if the strike were to continue. Under the current contract, longshoremen earn $39 an hour, and the union is reportedly asking for a $5-an-hour raise in each year of the new contract, which would last for six years. The employers, on the other hand, are offering annual raises of $2.50 an hour.
In a statement on Monday, the USMX announced that it had been contacted by the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, a government agency that assists with labor negotiations. According to federal labor law, it is illegal for a labor organization to refuse to negotiate on behalf of its members.
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