Biden backs dockworkers in labor strike, urges ocean carriers to offer ‘fair contract’
President Biden on Tuesday night backed union dockworkers and pressured US port employers to put forward a “fair contract” ahead of the second day o🧜f historic port strikes.
Some 45,000 members of the International Longshoremen’s Association walked off the job on Tuesday – picketing at ports stretching from Maine to Texas as they fig🙈ht for higher wages and protections from automation to be included in their new contract.
“Foreign ocean carriers have made record profits since the pandemic, when Longs🎃horemen put themselves at risk to keep ports open,” Biden said in a post on X.
“I♌t’s time those ocean carriers offered a strong and fair contract that reflects ILA workers’ contribution to our economy and to their record profits.”
Analysts warn the strike could cost the economy billions of dollars a day as food, automobile, pharmaceutical and other goods shipments sta🐠l𝓰l.
Biden instructed his team to monitor for potential price gouging activity that benefits foreign oceaꩲn carriers, the White House said.
Retailers, auto suppliers and produce importers h🎶ad hoped Biden would impose the federal Taft-Hartley Act, which allows US presidents t𒈔o enact an 80-day cooling-off period that forces employees to return to work during certain labor disputes.
Republican representatives Sam Graves and Daniel Webster 🎉– both chairs of transp꧙ortation committees – .
Bu⭕t those ho🌱pes were swept away when Biden said Monday that .
Harold Daggett – the fiery, out💦spoken union boss leading the strikes – had mocked 𓆉the 🍒idea during an interview in early September.
“Do you think when I go back for 90 d⛄ays those men are gonna go to work on that pier?” Daggett said.
The United States Maritime Alliance had offered the union a 50% wage hike in its new six-year c🎐ontract – but Daggett said the union is pushing forꦜ more.
Daggett – who raked in $728,000 in compensation last year from the ILA – said the union is seeking a $5 per hour raise for each year of the six-year 𒊎contract and a promise to prohibi🅠t automation.
“We are prepared to fight asꦫ long as necessary, tꦦo stay out on strike for whatever period of time it takes, to get the wages and protections against automation our ILA members deserve,” Daggett said on Tuesday.
The widespread picketing represents the ILA’s first major st🐈rike since 1977.
The strike comes soon after Hurricane Helene wreaked devastation across the Southeastern states and ahead of the holiday 𓆉shopping season.
About half of US imports arrive via water, according to Mo😼🥃rgan Stanley.
If the strike persists, it could slam the US economy – costinಞg it as much as $5 billion a day, JP Morgan analysts estimated.
The port logjams could result in sup🍸ply chain disruptions, food shortages and pr🍸ice hikes akin to the ♒economic turmoil seen during thℱe pandemic.
