The Port Strike Called the Shipping Companies’ Bluff
When East and Gulf Coast longshoremen went on strike last week, their employers claimed to be unable to afford their wage demands. In truth, the shipping industry has seen unparalleled profits in recent years. The strike made them change their tune.
Dockworkers on strike, walking in a picket line outside of the Port of Houston Authority on October 1, 2024, in Houston, Texas. (Brandon Bell / Getty Images)
In a press release issued shortly before International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) members walked out last Tuesday, the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX) expressed disbelief that the ILA had rejected its latest wage offer for a six-year contract. “Our current offer of a nearly 50 percent wage increase exceeds every other recent union settlement,” the press release said.
While the offer of a 50 percent wage increase did exceed most major recent union contract settlements, the other half of the statement was missing: USMX member companies’ profits over the past five years have vastly exceeded the profits of any other firms that have signed these union contracts.
The ILA knew there was more money in USMX corporate coffers than the company claimed to be able to furnish. So they kept pushing, and on Friday, they won their demand for a 62 percent top wage rate increase over the course of the newly settled six-year contract.
Sorry, but this article is available to active subscribers only. Please log in or become a subscriber.