The International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) on Sunday announced plans for a widespread strike at all Atlantic and Gulf Coast ports, sched

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

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2024-09-30 03:00:05

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

With just 36 hours remaining before the expiration of the current ILA-USMX contract, negotiations between the ILA and the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX) have reached an impasse. The strike would involve 85,000 ILA members and impact ports from Maine to Texas, the ILA said in a Sunday update posted to Facebook.

“United States Maritime Alliance (USMX) refuses to address a half-century of wage subjugation where Ocean Carriers profits skyrocketed from millions to mega-billion dollars, while ILA longshore wages remained flat,” the update said.

The potential work stoppage will affect 45,000 port workers at 36 ports responsible for handling more than 40% of total containerized goods entering the United States. The strike also comes at a particularly challenging time for ocean supply chains, which have already faced significant disruptions in 2024 due to conflicts in the Red Sea, drought in the Panama Canal, and the Baltimore bridge collapse.