And just like that, the strike ended. At least for now.
The 47,000 members of the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA), who have been on strike since Tuesday, will return to work on Friday after a provisional agreement was reached, according to a new report from cnn. The media outlet cites two anonymous sources who stressed that “there is still no final agreement on the full contract,” but there is a “provisional agreement” on salaries.
The strike, which affected 36 ports on the East Coast and Gulf Coast, was instigated by terms involving both pay and the role of automation in international shipping. And there were major concerns that a prolonged strike could affect the availability of consumer goods in the U.S. Workers have been picketing with signs that read “Automation threatens our future: support the ILA” and “Machines don’t.” They feed families: support the ILA.”
The tentative agreement must be ratified by the members of the union and the agreement, also informed by the Associated PressIt only suspends the strike until January 15. The union reached the temporary agreement with the United States Maritime Alliance, which represents shipping companies, terminal operators and port authorities.
The agreement will allow people to return to work while a longer six-year contract is negotiated and includes a temporary 62% pay increase, according to Reuters. The union had asked for a 77% increase and the Maritime Alliance offered a 50% increase.
Business owners are angry with the White House and have called on President Joe Biden to invoke the Taft-Hartley Act of 1947, which presidents can use to order workers back to work. But Biden refused to use that power and instead urged both sides to come together in order to help keep goods flowing after the devastation of Hurricane Helene.
“This natural disaster has incredible consequences,” Biden said Wednesday, according to the Associated Press. “The last thing we need on top of that is a man-made disaster – what’s happening in the ports.”
Gov. Ron DeSantis invoked hurricane relief efforts when he threatened to break the strike Thursday, calling the workers’ actions “unacceptable.”
“Under my direction, the Florida National Guard and Florida State Guard will be deployed to critical impacted ports to maintain order and, if possible, resume operations that would otherwise be shut down during this disruption,” DeSantis said, according to NBC6 in South Florida.
The strike has been controversial, to say the least. ILA President Harold J. Daggett complained Wednesday that he had been the subject of death threats and was upset that some media outlets were reporting personal details about his life.
“The New York Post this week published aerial photographs of his New Jersey home, including publishing his address in an article,” the union said in a statement. Press release. “They printed other details of his personal life, full of false accusations against him, with the sole intention of destroying his character and disparaging his 68-year career at ILA, with the intention of weakening his ability to negotiate a new Master Contract for the ILA members. .”