WE STAND IN SOLIDARITY WITH THE NEARLY 50,000 DOCK WORKERS WHO WENT ON STRIKE ACROSS THE EAST AND GULF COASTS!

On October 1st, nearly 50,000 dock workers with the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA), from ports in Texas to Maine, went on strike, demanding better wages and an end to automation, which they claim directly violates their contract. A strike of this magnitude has not occurred since 1977. Workers across the country are rising up and reclaiming what rightfully belongs to them!

Striking longshoremen picket outside the Packer Avenue Marine Terminal Port, in Philadelphia, Pa., on Oct. 1. Photo credit: Ryan Collerd/The Associated Press

On October 5th, the strike was officially postponed to January 15th after the union reached a deal to negotiate a new contract.

 

Radical Black Legacy of ILA 

Historically, Black workers have been at the forefront of dockworker organizing across the South and East Coast. An 'unskilled,' low-paid, back-breaking, and exhausting job, it has been disproportionately filled by Black workers since the early 20th century as Jim Crow laws barred them from better-paying jobs. Particularly in the South, Black longshoremen have fought for union representation and self-determination.   

This history goes back centuries. “Charleston, South Carolina was the city that imported more enslaved Africans than anywhere else in this country,” according to Leonard Riley, leader of International Longshoreman’s Association (ILA) Local 1422., said in a video posted by the ILA. Now, this majority-Black local has control over the Charleston port and has joined the strike to get what they deserve. 

International Longshoremen's Association and other union members gather on the steps of the S.C. Statehouse on July 12, 2023. Photo credit: Skylar Laird

The history of Black radical workers in the South is extensive, and longshoremen union members have played a significant role in that legacy. For generations, ILA Local 1422 in Charleston, SC has been led by Black union leaders, expanding the fight for labor rights into the fight for Black liberation.


An Historic Strike at a Time of Historic Profits

This strike by the ILA is expected to have unprecedented effects on the capitalist economy, costing shipping corporations around $5 billion a day. As corporations continue to make billions off the back of workers and use automation as a tool to lay off workers and increase their profits, dockworkers are organizing to take back what is rightfully theirs. 

Half of all major ports in the nation are located on the East Coast, meaning around 50% of all American imports pass through these ports. The ILA understands the massive impact this historic strike will have on the economy, so why did they call the strike?

For the past year, the ILA has been in contract negotiations with the United States Maritime Association (USMX), an alliance of shipping companies. The USMX has seen historic profits since the pandemic, with some companies, like A.P. Moller-Maersk, more than doubling their profits since 2021

However, the ILA has not seen these massive profits reflected in their wages, which have remained stagnant while the cost of living has skyrocketed. The economic circumstances the ILA opposes – exponential increases in corporate profits since the pandemic while wages remain unchanged – are shared by workers across many various sectors. It is also important to note that Maesrk has been a target of the Palestinian Youth Movement, as they are the biggest shipping company providing weapons to Israel. The need to connect these two different struggles is imperative. 

Another main reason the ILA called this strike is in response to the massive introduction of automation by USMX. Automation, robots and technology are a problem across the East Coast but in particular in Mobile, Alabama where automation is a direct violation of their contract with USMX. There is a risk that automation can replace between 9–47% of American jobs. A win by ILA in stopping automation from replacing workers will have a ripple effect across other industries. 

Under capitalism, automation is used as a tool to suppress workers as corporations make billions. The problem is that workers do not have democratic control over their workplaces and have no say on where automation is being implemented. Automation could be a great tool to support workers instead of leaving them without work. 

Harold Daggett, president of the International Longshoremen's Association, rallies union members as they begin strike Photo credit: Michael Nagle / Bloomberg via Getty Images

 

When we unite and fight, we win!

On October 5th, the strike was suspended after workers won a major wage increase with a new contract negotiation. But the fight is far from over. The workers have vowed to continue their strike in 100 days on January 15th if their new contract does not meet their demands. 

The majority of Black workers in the South, like most workers, are not unionized. The potential to unite Black, Brown, and White workers in the South into a multinational labor movement is immense and essential to advancing the labor movement as a whole.

This historic strike was felt across the country and should serve as an inspiration to other workers about what it means to struggle against all odds. UFE stands in solidarity with the ILA and all workers nationwide who are fighting for better wages, improved working conditions, better benefits, and a seat at the table!

Take action! Write to the CEO and board of the U.S. Maritime Alliance, which represents port owners, demanding they meet workers’ demands now.

 




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