Longshoreman strike tests Biden’s support for dockworkers

U.S. dockworkers on the East Coast and Gulf Coast entered the second day of a historic longshoreman strike Wednesday, as President Biden faces increasing pressure to stop it through federal action.

Roughly 25,000 dockworkers at 14 ports from Maine to Texas gained the attention of the nation Tuesday when they launched the first such strike since 1977 on Tuesday. They’re represented by the International Longshoreman’s Association union.

Dockworkers are showing the nation just how important they are to the economy, as they handle imports and exports that go across many industries. Meanwhile, economic analysts worry the strike will hike up inflation, which has come down to just over 2% after a generational high during the pandemic.

Business associations have called on Biden and Congress to intervene, but Biden has so far declined.

“No,” Biden told reporters Sunday ahead of the strike when asked if he would use a federal law to force a pause. “Because it’s collective bargaining, and I don’t believe in Taft-Hartley.”

Notably, the strike doesn’t apply to shipping military materials, oil or people.

What do dockworkers want?

Before Monday, dockworkers had been negotiating with the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX) employer group for a six-year contract, Reuters reported. The talks fizzled when the employer group refused to go above a 50% pay raise and no changes to the contract language for automation protections.

In an interview captured by FOX News, ILA President Harold Daggett praised the Biden Administration Secretary of Labor Julie Su for trying to get the company leaders to work out a deal to avert the longshoreman strike.

“She’s trying to get us to a meeting where we can have fair negotiations. It’s the companies that don’t wanna. They don’t wanna sit here and be fair. So, that’s why we’re out here fighting for our livelihood,” Daggett said Tuesday.

Dockworkers accuse the corporations of profiting off of the pandemic while refusing to share those economic gains with their workers. For instance, the revenue for the world’s biggest shipping company, Maersk, rose by nearly $20 billion from 2020 to 2021, the Associated Press reported.

The company’s CEO even admitted the surging rates and pandemic-related congestion, combined with shortages and a surge in consumer demand, contributed to the company’s record profits.

“People never gave a sh*t about us until now when they finally realized that the chain is being broke now,” ILA President Daggett said. “Cars won’t come in. Food won’t come in. Clothing won’t come in.”

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Biden has power to pause longshoreman strike

Notably, some estimates claim the U.S. loses up to $5 billion a day during the longshoreman strike. The White House is reportedly hoping the strike will be resolved before it leads to longterm disruptions. Yet, some are calling for him to take action now.

“We ask that you join manufacturers in calling on President Biden to intervene,” Jay Timmons, CEO of the National Association of Manufacturers, wrote to Congress in an open letter. “And should the impasse continue, we ask that you consider further actions to bring about a swift resolution.”

The Taft-Hartley Act, passed in 1947, gives the president the power to issue an injunction–an 80-day “cooling off” period–against a strike if it threatens national health or safety, according to the Center for the Study of Federalism. So far, Biden has refused to use that power.

Yet, with his Vice President, Kamala Harris, facing off against Donald Trump for the presidency in a few weeks, it remains to be seen whether the political consequences of allowing the strike to proceed will lead to a different response from Biden.

“You know how many people depend on our jobs? Half the world. And it’s time for them and time for Washington to put so much pressure on them to take care of us ’cause we took care of them,” Daggett said.