Why Are Port Workers on Strike? Understanding the Longshoremen Walkout

Forty-five thousand dockworkers went on strike Tuesday for the first time in decades at 36 U.S. ports, stretching from Maine to Texas. Here’s why.

Fransebas Fransebas
Oct 4, 2024 - 21:01
0 30
Why Are Port Workers on Strike? Understanding the Longshoremen Walkout

NEW YORK, UNITED STATES - 2024/10/01: Workers picket outside of the Red Hook Container Terminal in Brooklyn. Members of the International Longshoreman's Association walked out of every major port on the U.S. East and Gulf coasts after they failed to reach an agreement on better wages and automation with the United States Maritime Alliance. The strike is the first by the union since 1977 and could ripple across the world's largest economy causing political turmoil just weeks before the presidential election. (Photo by Michael Nigro/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images)

Image Credit: Pacific Press/LightRocket via Ge

Nearly 45,000 dockworkers went on strike at ports along the East and Gulf Coasts of the U.S., rallying for higher pay and stronger protections against job automation.

Members of the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA), the union representing the dockworkers, walked off the job on Tuesday for the first time in nearly 50 years, advocating for “the kind of wages we deserve,” as stated by ILA President Harold Daggett in a social media post.

However, an update from both the ILA and the United States Maritime Alliance, Ltd. (USMX) indicates that the strike has reached some kind of resolution. In a joint statement shared on social media on Thursday, October 3, the ILA and USMX announced the suspension of the strike after reaching a “tentative” agreement.

“The International Longshoremen’s Association and the United States Maritime Alliance, Ltd. have reached a tentative agreement on wages and have agreed to extend the Master Contract until January 15, 2025, to return to the bargaining table to negotiate all other outstanding issues,” the statement read. “Effective immediately, all current job actions will cease, and all work covered by the Master Contract will resume.”

So, Why Did the Port Workers Go on Strike?

In a statement on Monday, the union accused the USMX, which represents docks and ocean carriers, of obstructing efforts to reach an agreement to end the strike. “The ocean carriers represented by USMX want to enjoy the billion-dollar profits they are making in 2024 while offering ILA Longshore Workers an unacceptable wage package that we reject,” the statement read.

Recently, the U.S. Maritime Alliance proposed a smaller increase of nearly 50%, which the ILA rejected. “They may claim a significant increase, but they conveniently overlook that many of our members operate multi-million-dollar container-handling equipment for just $20 an hour. In some states, the minimum wage is already $15,” the ILA emphasized.

Before the strike, Johnnie Dixon, president of the Fort Lauderdale chapter of the ILA, asserted that the union’s demands are justified due to rising consumer prices.

“Our members top out at $39 per hour. We are seeking a nearly 77% increase over the next seven years. Given the current inflation, that’s more than reasonable,” he stated.

What Is a Typical Salary for a Port Worker?

The top-tier hourly wage of $39 translates to just over $81,000 annually for those with at least six years of service, but dockworkers can significantly boost their earnings by taking on extra shifts. According to a 2019-20 annual report from the Waterfront Commission of New York Harbor, about one-third of local longshoremen earned $200,000 or more each year.

Typically, a longshoreman’s salary can exceed $100,000, but reaching this figure often requires substantial overtime. Daggett noted that these higher earners frequently work up to 100 hours a week.