Solidarity on the Docks: LUEL Joins ILA Pickets

On October 1^st LUEL members up and down the East Coast went out on the picket lines to support the striking International Longshoremen Association (ILA) workers. LUEL Mid-Atlantic and Southern Chapters heeded the call of solidarity at outside Ports in Staten Island, Philadelphia, and Miami.

The workers expressed their concerns about the threat of automation, as some port carriers represented by the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX) started implementing automation in violation of the Master Contract before its expiration at midnight on October 1^st. Workers outside Port Liberty in Staten Island were talking about the last-minute contract offer that was rejected due to no protections against job loss caused by automation.

In discussions with striking workers there seemed to be an understanding that the often criticized position of union leadership not to end military shipments was the only thing preventing President Biden from enacting the Taft-Hartley Act enforcing a 90-day cooling off period and forcing the longshoremen back to work. The strike didn’t last long with a temporary agreement on wages leading to an extension of the Master Contract to January 15^th. One striking longshoreman reached out stating that they, “think the election is playing a big part in this” in regards to the contract extension. LUEL will stay on top of the ongoing contract negotiations throughout the next three months. Should the ILA go back out on strike after the extended contract expires, we will be right back on the picket lines in a show of solidarity.