US East and Gulf Coast Ports Face Imminent Shutdown as Union Announces Intent to Strike

The International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) on Sunday proclaimd schedules for a widespread strike at all Atlantic and Gulf Coast ports, scheduled to begin at 12:01 am on Tuesday, October 1, 2024.

With fair 36 hours remaining before the expiration of the current ILA-USMX decrease, negotiations between the ILA and the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX) have accomplished an impasse. The strike would comprise 85,000 ILA members and impact ports from Maine to Texas, the ILA shelp in a Sunday modernize posted to Facebook.

“United States Maritime Alliance (USMX) declines to compriseress a half-century of wage subjugation where Ocean Carriers profits skyrocketed from millions to mega-billion dollars, while ILA lengthyshore wages remained flat,” the modernize shelp.

The potential toil stoppage will sway 45,000 port toilers at 36 ports depfinishable for handling more than 40% of total grasperized excellents go ining the United States. The strike also comes at a particularly challenging time for ocean provide chains, which have already faced meaningful interfereions in 2024 due to disputes in the Red Sea, dcimpolitet in the Panama Canal, and the Baltimore bridge collapse.

The interfereions, joind with strong U.S. need, have already caengaged mediocre spot freight rates from the Far East to the U.S. East Coast to increase by over 300% between December 2023 and timely July 2024, according to Xeneta.

Despite the high sgets, the Biden administration has proposed that the pdwellnt does not schedule to request the Taft-Hartley Act, a federal law that apvalidates pdwellntial intervention in labor disputes that create a national aelevatency.

The ILA says they will provide modernizes on any novel lengthenments by 11 a.m. on Monday, September 30.

As this week’s deadline approaches, the outcome of these negotiations is set to have far-accomplishing consequences for the U.S. economy and global provide chains.

The ILA shelp its members will upgrasp their pledge to administer military cargo and toil passengers vessels thcimpoliteout the strike.