Just like that, the strike was over. At least that’s the case for now.
According to the latest report from CNN, the 47,000 members of the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA), who have been on strike since Tuesday, will reportedly return to work on Friday after reaching a tentative agreement. Citing two unnamed sources, the news outlet said “no final agreement has been reached on a full contract” but there was a “tentative agreement” on wages.
The strike, which affects 36 ports along the East Coast and Gulf of Mexico, involves wages and the role of automation in international shipping. The main concern is that a prolonged strike could affect the supply of U.S. consumer goods. “International Law Association.”
The tentative agreement, which requires approval by union members, also reports that the agreement only suspends the strike until January 15. .
According to Reuters, the deal will allow people to return to work while negotiating longer six-year contracts that include a temporary 62% pay increase. The union demanded a 77% wage increase, and the Maritime Union proposed a 50% wage increase.
Business owners are unhappy with the White House and calling on President Biden to invoke the 1947 Taft-Hartley Act, which the president can use to order workers back to work. But Biden declined to use that power, instead urging both sides to come together to help keep goods moving after the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene.
“The consequences of this natural disaster are extremely severe,” Biden said Wednesday, according to the Associated Press. “And the last thing we need is a man-made disaster — what’s happening at the ports.”
Gov. Ron DeSantis threatened to call off the strike on Thursday, citing hurricane relief efforts and calling workers’ behavior “unacceptable.”
According to NBC6 in South Carolina, DeSantis said: “At my direction, the Florida National Guard and the Florida State Guard will be deployed to affected critical ports to maintain order and restore order if possible. Operations that are closed during this disruption.
The strike was controversial, to say the least. ILA President Harold J. Daggett complained Wednesday that he had received death threats and was troubled by some news outlets reporting personal details about his life.
“The New York Post this week published an aerial photo of his New Jersey home, including posting his address in an article,” the union said in a release. “They published an account of his personal life. “The other details are filled with false accusations against him with the sole purpose of destroying his character and belittling his 68-year ILA career with the intent of undermining his ability to negotiate new master contracts for ILA members.”
