After failing to get ahead of a strike at the Nation's East and Gulf Coast ports, President Joe Biden released a statement Tuesday calling for the strike to end after the demands of labor unions are met.
"Collective bargaining is the best way for workers to get the pay and benefits they deserve. I have urged USMX, which represents a group of foreign-owned carriers, to come to the table and present a fair offer to the workers of the International Longshoremen’s Association that ensures they are paid appropriately in line with their invaluable contributions," Biden said. "Ocean carriers have made record profits since the pandemic and in some cases profits grew in excess of 800 percent compared to their profits prior to the pandemic. Executive compensation has grown in line with those profits and profits have been returned to shareholders at record rates. It’s only fair that workers, who put themselves at risk during the pandemic to keep ports open, see a meaningful increase in their wages as well."
"As our nation climbs out of the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, dockworkers will play an essential role in getting communities the resources they need. Now is not the time for ocean carriers to refuse to negotiate a fair wage for these essential workers while raking in record profits. My Administration will be monitoring for any price gouging activity that benefits foreign ocean carriers, including those on the USMX board," he continued. "It is time for USMX to negotiate a fair contract with the longshoremen that reflects the substantial contribution they’ve been making to our economic comeback."
Biden is refusing to enforce the Taft-Hartley Act, which would require port workers to keep things running while negotiations continue. The USMX has offered the Longshoremen a 50 percent raise. The union has been accused to breaking labor laws with the strike and their negotiation tactics.
"President Biden, whose administration has tried to facilitate talks between the two sides, has said that he won't use a federal labor law known as the Taft-Hartley Act to intervene in the strike. Under that law, Biden could take action that results in an 80-day "cooling off" period for negotiations to resume while workers are back at work," Fox Business reports. "The strike comes after USMX filed an unfair labor complaint with the National Labor Relations Board against the ILA last week, arguing that the group was breaking labor laws by refusing to negotiate. The ILA criticized the move as a "publicity stunt" and said USMX should file labor complaints against port employers for not paying dockworkers better wages."
The head of the Longshoremen's Association explained the consequences this way:
It's official: 45,000 port workers are now on strike, from Maine to Texas.
— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) October 1, 2024
"We will cripple you" - Head of ILA pic.twitter.com/ivetfkDCud