A deal was reached Wednesday between port terminal operators and the longshoremen’s union, averting a massive port strike that would have occurred just days before President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration.
“We are pleased to announce that ILA and USMX have reached a tentative agreement on a new six-year ILA-USMX Master Contract, subject to ratification, thus averting any work stoppage on January 15, 2025,” the two parties said in a joint statement. “This agreement protects current ILA jobs and establishes a framework for implementing technologies that will create more jobs while modernizing East and Gulf coast ports – making them safer and more efficient, and creating the capacity they need to keep our supply chains strong.”
“This is a win-win agreement that creates ILA jobs, supports American consumers and businesses, and keeps the American economy the key hub of the global marketplace,” the statement added.
A separate statement from Harold Daggett, head of the ILA, gave “full credit” to Trump for the deal, telling the incoming president he has "proven...to be one of the best friends of working men and women in the United States."
He credited a meeting he had with Trump last month as the reason the union won protections against automation.
“President Trump clearly demonstrated his unwavering support for our ILA union and longshore workers with his statement “heard round the world” backing our position to protect American longshore jobs against the ravages of automated terminals,” said ILA President Daggett. “President Trump’s bold stance helped prevent a second coast wide strike at ports from Maine to Texas that would have occurred on January 15, 2024, if a tentative agreement was not reached.”
At the mid-December meeting in Mar-A-Lago, the two ILA leaders met for two hours with President-Elect Trump and spelled out the cause for an impasse in negotiations with the ocean carriers represented by United States Maritime Alliance (USMX).
In the presence of ILA President Harold Daggett and Executive Vice President Dennis Daggett, President Trump spoke by telephone to USMX officials to express his support for the ILA. He then posted a powerful message on “Truth Social” announcing his support for the ILA.
“There has been a lot of discussion having to do with ‘automation on United States docks,” President Trump wrote. “I’ve studied automation and know just about everything there is to know about it. The amount of money saved is nowhere near the distress, hurt and harm it causes for American Workers, in this case, our Longshoremen. Foreign companies have made a fortune in the U.S. by giving them access to our markets. They shouldn’t be looking for every last penny knowing how many families are hurt.”
The ILA Leader said his union now regards President Donald Trump as one of the greatest friends of Organized Labor and champion of the working men and women of this country.
“He’s a hero to our ILA union and members,” said the ILA leader. “President Trump gets full credit for our successful tentative Master Contract agreement,” said ILA President Daggett. (International Longshoremen's Association)
There was no mention of President Biden in the statement, which as Politico notes, “serves as a last-minute embarrassment for the outgoing Democrat, who repeatedly called himself labor’s best friend."
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