Joe Biden says he won't stop a mass strike by port workers
The International Longshoremen's Association (ILA) has said its 25,000 members will shut down if a new agreement with the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX), which represents carriers and Marine terminal operators, is not reached by the end of the contract on September 30.
According to CBS News, a spokesman for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey said on the 20th that the Port Authority is "coordinating with partners across the supply chain to address any impact that may be caused."
"We are urging labor and management to find common ground to keep goods flowing to boost the national economy," the spokesman said.
However, as of the 23rd, the ILA and USMX are still far apart. USMX says labor is unwilling to return to the bargaining table, and the union blames the impasse on USMX's refusal to offer workers an acceptable wage increase.
According to the union, the strike will affect ports from Maine to Texas. Some analysts believe that this will involve as many as 45,000 workers at ports that account for about 60 percent of U.S. shipping traffic, causing serious disruptions to freight. "Even a two-week strike could disrupt supply chains until 2025," one expert said.
Groups representing several industries, including manufacturers, retailers and restaurants, are calling on the U.S. government to intervene in the strike, but President Joe Biden recently said he would not stop a mass strike by port workers. Some media analysts believe that labor unions are an important part of the support group of Democratic presidential candidate Harris, and the ILA leadership has repeatedly said that it does not welcome government interference in labor disputes.
Tom Madereki, vice president of the Consumer Brands Association of America, said he had been in touch with the Biden administration for more than a year on the issue but was concerned that the Nov. 5 presidential election had "politicized" the labor dispute.
According to CBS News, a spokesman for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey said on the 20th that the Port Authority is "coordinating with partners across the supply chain to address any impact that may be caused."
"We are urging labor and management to find common ground to keep goods flowing to boost the national economy," the spokesman said.
However, as of the 23rd, the ILA and USMX are still far apart. USMX says labor is unwilling to return to the bargaining table, and the union blames the impasse on USMX's refusal to offer workers an acceptable wage increase.
According to the union, the strike will affect ports from Maine to Texas. Some analysts believe that this will involve as many as 45,000 workers at ports that account for about 60 percent of U.S. shipping traffic, causing serious disruptions to freight. "Even a two-week strike could disrupt supply chains until 2025," one expert said.
Groups representing several industries, including manufacturers, retailers and restaurants, are calling on the U.S. government to intervene in the strike, but President Joe Biden recently said he would not stop a mass strike by port workers. Some media analysts believe that labor unions are an important part of the support group of Democratic presidential candidate Harris, and the ILA leadership has repeatedly said that it does not welcome government interference in labor disputes.
Tom Madereki, vice president of the Consumer Brands Association of America, said he had been in touch with the Biden administration for more than a year on the issue but was concerned that the Nov. 5 presidential election had "politicized" the labor dispute.
