The threat of strikes on the US East Coast and Gulf ports has not gone away

By Thomas Cullen

The leader of the US East Coast and Gulf dockworker’s union has issued a characteristically forthright statement asserting his union’s hostility to “automation”. Dennis A. Daggett, Executive Vice President of the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) wrote in an article published by his union on December 2^nd stating that the International Longshoremen’s Association was at a “crossroads in our Master Contract negotiations with ocean carriers and employers” with “the employers’ push to expand the use of semi-automated rail-mounted gantry cranes” being at the “center of this impasse”.

The article elaborates on why the International Longshoremen’s Association opposes automation, citing previous experience with agreements with terminal operators that had resulted in job losses in ways that the ILA had not anticipated. It appears that Mr Daggett fears that the introduction of semi-automated rail-mounted gantry cranes are another example of terminals introducing a technology that will have the long-term effect of eliminating crane operators and other similar jobs.

In summary, Dennis Daggett addresses the public, saying that “those who think the ILA is the one threatening to cripple the nation, let me ask you this: is it the 78-year-old labor leader fighting to protect his members who poses the real risk? Or is it the corporations and foreign-owned companies, making billions while systematically eliminating American jobs, that will bear the responsibility for crippling this country?”.

In response, the employers, represented by the United States Maritime Alliance, stated that “modernization and investment in new technology are core priorities required to successfully bargain a new Master Contract with the ILA – they are essential to building a sustainable and greener future for the U.S maritime industry”.

Agreement over the technology clauses in the ‘Master Contract’ between the employers and the ILA needs to be made by the 15^th of January. If not, there is the possibility of ILA workers embarking on some form of strike action. The problem with the technology clauses is that there is a less room for flexibility in the negotiations than questions of pay. There is also a different political background, with the Trump administration probably having a different view of such disputes that that of Joe Biden, who was close to the trade unions.

Source Ti Insight

Author: Thomas Cullen

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