ILA eyes October start for US port strikes

International Longshoremen's Association (ILA) president Harold Daggett is preparing his union to strike at US ports along the country's east coast beginning 1 October if negotiations with the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX) fail to produce a satisfactory agreement by 30 September.

The ILA commands a membership of 85,000 maritime workers belonging to 200 local affiliates at 100 seaports along the US and Canadian east coast, the Great Lakes, and the US Gulf coast.

Daggett announced on 10 June that his union was suspending negotiations with the USMX in response to revelations that APM Terminals and Maersk Line employed automated truck processing systems at its terminals at the Port of Mobile, Alabama, as well as other locations.

"We will stand strong to win a new contract that adequately compensates our hard-working and dedicated ILA longshore workforce, and simultaneously are preparing to strike at all ports from Maine to Texas come 1 October, 2024, if a new agreement is not reached," said Daggett on 10 August.

William Adams, president of the International Longshore & Warehouse Union (ILWU), expressed solidarity with the union and emphasized the centrality of automation as well as workplace safety to the ILA's efforts. The unions "remain militant and resolute in our fight against automation," said Adams, insisting that "we will not settle for a substandard deal that does not adequately address our concerns about the future of our workplace and the safety of our members."

By Gabriel Squitieri