USEC Strike On the Horizon
Harold Daggett, the outspoken president of the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA), has threatened to initiate strikes starting October 1 if a deal is not reached with the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX), which he describes as being "far apart" from the union on key issues.
Daggett also revealed plans to tackle major carriers on a global scale by forming a worldwide ‘mega-union.’
Yesterday, Dennis Daggett, the union’s executive vice president and Harold’s son, told ILA members, “When we first began discussions with USMX, we came well-prepared to negotiate. Unfortunately, their side was not as ready.
“At this point, we’re at a standstill. We can’t even agree on the contract’s economic terms. We’re very far apart.”
Today marks the final meeting to discuss the ILA’s wage scale, where union delegates will review their contract demands and set up strike committees from Maine to Texas in preparation for October 1. Details of these demands remain undisclosed, but the union has been vocal about seeking wage increases, improved health benefits, and opposition to automated and semi-automated terminals.
Dennis Daggett criticized the carriers and terminal operators for not sharing their pandemic-era profits with union members, calling it offensive. “Nobody wants a strike, but with the current labor laws, it’s one of the few tools we have. If we’re pushed into a corner, we’ll use it.”
A strike affecting US East and Gulf coast ports would lead to significant disruptions for shippers, causing delays and increasing costs.
Looking beyond the US, Harold Daggett plans to form a global alliance with unions worldwide once the US East and Gulf coast negotiations are complete. “We’re going to bring together unions from around the world,” he announced.
“We’ll host a meeting in Portugal, involving the International Dockworkers’ Council (IDC) and maritime workers globally,” he added, motivated by the threat of job losses due to terminal automation.
Daggett emphasized, “With three major companies pushing for automation, our only defense is this global alliance. For instance, if Maersk tries to build a fully automated terminal in Chile, we’ll activate this alliance to shut down Maersk’s operations worldwide.”
Despite previous grievances with Maersk over an automated traffic light system in the US port of Mobile, the union’s concerns extend beyond one carrier. “We’ll take action against companies globally if they continue to replace dock workers with automation,” Daggett warned. “We won’t let them undermine jobs that have been held by dock workers for 200 years. We’re forming this alliance to demonstrate that we hold the power, not them.”
Lars Jensen, CEO of Vespucci Maritime, suggested that the ILA’s statements are part of a negotiation strategy to exert maximum pressure on USMX.
The current six-year agreement between USMX and the ILA, which covers around 25,000 port workers at US East and Gulf coast ports, is set to expire on September 30.
