Industry analyst Ti warns that the threat of strike action at US East and Gulf coast ports in the new year has not gone away, with a local union declaring its hostility to automation.
According to Ti, Dennis A. Daggett, executive vice president of the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) wrote in an article published by his union on December 2 stating that it 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 “centre of this impasse”.
In response, the employers, represented by the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX), stated that “modernisation 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”.
Strike action at East and Gulf coast ports came to an end in October 2024 when ILA and USMX came to a tentative agreement on wages. However, an accord over technology clauses in the master contract needs to be made by January 15, 2025. If not, there is the possibility of ILA workers embarking on some form of strike action, said Ti.
The analyst added that the problem with the technology clauses is that there is a less room for flexibility in the negotiations, in comparison to questions around remuneration.
There is also a question around the potential application of the Taft-Harley Act, which limits the power of labour unions. President Joe Biden chose not to implement the act during October. The stance of president-elect Donald Trump, who will be sworn in on January 20, could be different.
