The Biden administration and former President Donald Trump lined up behind the dockworkers who walked out of every major East and Gulf coast port on Tuesday, each accusing the ocean carriers of exploiting workers during the pandemic.
The White House is also calling on the carriers to withdraw any surcharges related to the strike— which halted about 50 percent of US container trade—and warning them not to exploit any emergencies for profit. The two largest carriers have already announced plans to impose extra fees tied to the work stoppage if it continues more than a few weeks.
ILA President Harold Daggett told longshoremen at the picket line to prepare to stay off the job for as long as it takes to get a deal for even higher pay—the latest demand is a 61.5 percent raise, according to CNBC—and protections from automation, which could prove to be the bigger obstacle. It’s the first time in nearly 50 years these ports have shut down because of a strike and the implications for the world’s biggest economy could be dire, depending on how long the walkout lasts. With just weeks to go before the November 5 election it could also shape the campaigns.
Instead, Biden has echoed Daggett’s position that dockworkers deserve a larger share of profits won by foreign-owned container liners during the trade boom—and supply chain crisis—of the pandemic. The ILA hasn’t endorsed a presidential candidate, though according to Daggett, Trump “promised to support the ILA in its opposition to automated terminals” during a meeting at his Mar-a-Lago resort last fall. Both campaigns are working hard to win working class and union votes.
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