You may have some heard some buzz about the port workers strike, and wondered what all the big deal is. Well, approximately 45,000 dockworkers from Texas to Maine declared a strike on October 1, closing many major US ports, and halting about half of the ocean shipping conducted by the US.
The strike started after a six-year contract between the International Longshoremen’s Association and the United States Maritime Alliance expired, causing the first strike by the union since 1977.
The workers went on strike to demand higher wages, initially demanding a 77% pay raise over the six-year contract, and more regulation regarding the automation of cranes, gates, and container-moving trucks.
After four days of the strike, the striking dock workers and their employers reached a tentative agreement. Port employers raised their initial offer from a 50% pay raise to 62%, and both sides agreed to suspend the previous contract to January 15. This suspension provides both sides time to negotiate the remaining details.
The strike affected over 30 US ports, including some of the country’s busiest, such as New York/New Jersey, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and New Orleans. However, because the strike was so short, the damage and delays caused by the work stoppage were very minimal. If the strike continued, however, it threatened to cause serious supply chain disruptions, causing shortages of many items, especially fresh produce and fruit. A prolonged strike also could have heightened retail prices and led to serious delivery delays.
If the strike continued and seemed dangerous to the health of the US economy, President Joe Biden could have intervened under the 1947 Taft-Hartley Act, a law that allows a president to seek a court order for an 80-day cooling off period, forcing an end to the strike. However, according to CNN.com, Biden declined to use these powers, saying he would not interfere with the collective bargaining process.
