Port Houston Strike Enters Its Second Day
Source: A protester throws up the sign for Houston as cars drive past at the Bayport Container Terminal in Seabrook, Texas, on October 1, 2024. Officials at 14 ports along the US East and Gulf Coasts were making last-minute preparations on September 30 for a likely labor strike that could drag on the US economy just ahead of a presidential election — despite last-minute talks. (Mark Felix / AFP via Getty Images)
HOUSTON — The port workers strike, affecting ports from the Gulf Coast all the way to Maine, enters its second day as 45,000 men and women demand a new contract between the International Longshoremen’s Association and the United States Maritime Alliance. Port Houston has been involved in the strike as well, already affecting local supply chain businesses, according to KHOU 11.
The ILA, which hasn’t gone on strike since 1977, is demanding a new contract with the United States Maritime Alliance that includes a 77% pay raise for workers over the next six years. Union members currently have a base salary of $81,000 per year. The strike affects 36 ports along the southern and eastern United States.
On Monday evening, the alliance offered a 50% pay raise over six years, plus stated there would be no changes to the limits on automation from the previous contract. The offer also would triple employer retirement contributions and pose stronger healthcare options for the workers.
While the two sides remain at a standstill, businesses involved in the local supply chain are feeling the heat.
Violetta Pinson and Jacob Jeffrey, a married couple who own TKK Logistics and Trucking and J&B Transport respectively, have highlighted the immediate financial strain the strike has imposed on their businesses.
Source: In an aerial view, the Port of Houston Authority is seen during a strike on October 01, 2024 in Houston, Texas. Members of the International Longshoreman’s Association have begun a nationwide strike, consisting of more than 50,000 workers at ports along the East Coast and Texas. The strike, affecting 36 ports, marks a historic event and is the first by the union since 1977. The strike comes after negotiations between the International Longshoreman’s Association and the United States Maritime Alliance failed to reach an agreement on better wages and the use of automation that could phase out union workers. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
“It is a big challenge,” Pinson said. “I mean, it is the majority of what we do.”
“It’s impacting us because we can’t move anything,” Jeffrey said. “Wheels are not turning; we’re not making any money.”
Some businesses had their clients order extra product ahead of time in anticipation of the current work stoppage. Rebecca Roberts, the president and owner of All Points Warehouse, a member of the Greater Houston Trucking Association, was one of the business owners looking ahead:
“We got with our customers early, they started ordering extra product early; we prepared our yards early,” Roberts said. “We’re solidly prepared for a three-to-six-month shutdown. And that was something that we learned when COVID came that we had to be ready.”
If the strike turns from days into weeks, economists warn that prices on cars, electronics, produce, seafood and more could rise.
Officials from the Labor Department, Department of Transportation and the White House have tried to get both sides to reach a deal, as the strike could cost around $5 billion a day, according to ABC 13.
Port Houston Strike Enters Its Second Day was originally published on 93qcountry.com
