‘Praying there is no strike’: Clock ticks before possibly thousands of East Coast longshoremen strike

By David Collins

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    BALTIMORE, Maryland (WBAL) — A new lawsuit from the Longshoremen’s Union comes as thousands of port workers across the East Coast prepare to head to the picket lines next week.

The two main issues are pay and automation replacing workers. The Longshoremen’s Association is demanding a ban on automated cranes, gates and the unloading and loading of cargo.

The association also wants a significant pay increase over the next six years to catch up with the rate of inflation and to compensate for dangers on the job.

“It is a very dangerous job,” said longshoreman Alonzo Key. “Every piece of equipment is enormous, every piece of equipment is larger than life. Typically, if someone is injured, they die.”

Economists said a one-day strike would have a significant impact. A month-long strike would be devastating. Longshoremen told 11 News it’s frustrating sitting on the sideline unprepared.

“I’m praying there is no strike,” said Anthony Wynn, a longshoreman.

Wynn is still struggling from the Key Bridge Collapse. Now, he and other union members are bracing for a potential strike at the port on Tuesday.

“I think that when we exhaust savings, we don’t know what the next move is going to be,” Key said. “We are quite unprepared, quite honestly.”

Locally, it would impact something like $15 million per day in lost economic activity.

“Many of the foods and things come into the port, and there will be about 14 that will be impacted, so a significant amount of economic impact could occur because of a strike,” said Daraius Irani, chief economist for the Regional Economic Studies Institute at Towson University.

Experts said a strike would impact 14 ports from Maine to Texas. It would likely interrupt the supply chain and increase the price of groceries.

Retailers, already gearing up for the holiday shopping season, are said to be scrambling to overstock.

Vehicles flowing through the Port of Baltimore could also be severely impacted. Authorities said the severity depends on the length of the potential strike.

“If it is one day, probably not devastating,” Irani said. “One month, probably devastating.”

Negotiations have stalled over wages, benefits and port automation. Meanwhile, some port workers feel stuck on the sidelines. “We don’t control the variables that are leading to the strike,” Key said. “And we really, outside of voting for representation, we don’t have a lot of say so as to how this strike is resolved.”

Scott Cowan, the president of the International Longshoremen’s Association Local 333, sent a statement to 11 News, saying:

“Even though the ILA’s members worked tirelessly during the pandemic to ensure that the nation’s commerce flowed and continue to sacrifice time with their own families so that goods can arrive in the homes of other families throughout the world, still, due to corporate greed, employers refuse to compensate the ILA’s members fairly.

“Over the last several years, the net revenues of these companies have grown astronomically from hundreds of millions to billions of dollars while the ILA members’ wage increases do not even cover the cost of inflation.

“The ILA is fighting for respect, appreciation and fairness in a world in which corporations are dead set on replacing hardworking people with automation. Employers push automation under the guise of safety, but it is really about cutting labor costs to increase their already exceptionally high profits.

“As the last six years have demonstrated, automation cannot outperform the skilled men and women of the ILA. Automation of our nations’ ports should be a concern for everyone; the truth is, robots do not pay taxes and they do not spend money in their communities. The ILA will continue to fight until its members receive the fair contract they deserve.” Gov. Wes Moore has no authority to intervene. He encouraged all parties to continue to work on an agreement.

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