Tuesday at midnight, roughly 47,000 unionized port workers belonging to the International Longshoreman’s Association (ILA) walked off the job and are now on strike in an attempt to negotiate a 77% pay raise. Around 900 ILA members work at the Port of Mobile, which is one of the hubs impacted by the strike.
The organization said that its first strike since 1977 was a result of failed negotiations with the U.S. Maritime Alliance (USMX), a key representative of port employers. The two entities had previously entered into a six-year contract that expired last night after attempts to reach an agreement fell short.
Former President Donald Trump told Fox News Digital what he believes is the root cause of the situation.
“The strike was caused by the massive inflation that was created by the Harris-Biden regime,” Trump said. “Everybody understands the dockworkers because they were decimated by this inflation, just like everybody else in our country and beyond.”
U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville agreed with Trump’s assessment in a statement released Tuesday.
“As we’ve seen time and time again over the last four years when crisis strikes, President Biden and Vice President Harris are nowhere to be found,” Tuberville said.
“The President of the United States is the only person who can intervene – and Biden has signaled he will not. If left unresolved, these strikes will shut down our nation’s supply chain and wreak havoc on our economy. American families are already struggling and should not have to pay for the poor decision-making of this Administration and unreasonable union demands that will result in supply shortages and price surges.”
“I urge Joe Biden and Kamala Harris to actually do their jobs and show some leadership for a change. It is critical that they find a solution to this strike as soon as possible.”
ILA President Harold Daggett revealed that negotiations have completely ceased.
“Right now, everything is off the table,” Daggett told FOX Business. “Nobody’s talking right now. We got Congress trying to bring them to the table. And that’s where we are right now.”
J.P. Morgan estimates that a strike that shuts down East and Gulf coast ports could cost the economy $3.8 billion to $4.5 billion per day.
President Biden has opted not to intervene in the strike through the Taft-Hartley injunction, as part of his strategy to maintain support from organized labor ahead of the 2024 election.
Austen Shipley is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on X @ShipleyAusten
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