Union dock workers have officially begun their strike against employers at ports across the U.S. East and Gulf Coasts early Tuesday morning.
The strikes are expected to cost the U.S. $5 billion per day and stunt supply chains across the eastern seaboard. This is the first time since 1977 for a port strike of this magnitude to rock the country.
The International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) is the union behind the strike against its U.S. Maritime Alliance (USMX) employers for a new master contract. The two groups negotiated back and forth up until late Monday night, when the union’s deadline for a strike expired at midnight.
As of midnight, there have been no public statements from ILA regarding negotiations or the strike. The International Brotherhood of Teamsters, meanwhile, announced their support for the Longshoremen’s union in a news release sent Monday night.
“The ocean carriers are on strike against themselves after failing to negotiate a contract that recognizes the value of these workers,” the Teamsters stated in the release. “Our ILA brothers and sisters play a critical role in keeping the American economy running, and they deserve industry-leading wages and robust job protections for the vital work they perform.”
“The U.S. government should stay the [f—-] out of this fight and allow union workers to withhold their labor for the wages and benefits they have earned,” the Teamsters release continued. “Any workers—on the road, in the ports, in the air—should be able to fight for a better life free of government interference. Corporations for too long have been able to rely on political puppets to help them strip working people of their inherent leverage.”