Longshoremen at America’s East Coast ports are about to strike, leaving importers and consumers wondering what to expect. Negotiations between the Longshoremen and the United States Maritime Alliance have not gone well, prompting the first coast-wide strike (including the Gulf Coast ports) since 1977. David Shepardson and Steve Holland report at Fidelity:
A port strike on the U.S. East Coast and Gulf of Mexico will go ahead starting on Tuesday, the International Longshoremen’s Association union said on Sunday, signaling action that could cause delays and snarl supply chains.
“United States Maritime Alliance … refuses to address a half-century of wage subjugation,” the union said in a statement. The United States Maritime Alliance, known as USMX, represents employers of the East and Gulf Coast longshore industry.
USMX did not immediately comment.
If union members walk off the job at ports stretching from Maine to Texas, it would be the first coast-wide ILA strike since 1977, affecting ports that handle about half the nation’s ocean shipping.
A source said no negotiations were taking place Sunday and none are currently planned before the midnight Monday deadline. The union said previously the strike would not impact military cargo shipments or cruise ship traffic.
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