45,000 us dockworkers plan to strike
2024-09-19
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abc reported on the 18th that about 45,000 dock workers at important ports in the eastern united states and the gulf of mexico plan to strike from october 1st to seek a substantial wage increase and prevent automated equipment from replacing their jobs. the report said that the ports where these dock workers work handle about half of the united states' seaborne cargo.
the international longshoremen's union is demanding a significant increase in workers' wages and a complete ban on the automation of mechanical equipment used to load and unload cargo at 36 u.s. ports.
the report said that the international longshoremen's union initially demanded a 77% wage increase in the six-year labor contract to make up for the workers' income losses caused by inflation in the past few years. according to reports, the highest basic salary for american longshoremen is $39 per hour, which is slightly more than $81,000 per year. if overtime pay and other benefits are included, some longshoremen can earn more than $200,000 per year.
the report said that if the strike lasts only a few weeks, american consumers may not feel a significant shortage of retail goods; but if the strike lasts more than a month, it may cause shortages of some consumer goods.
some analysts told abc that if a strike occurs, west coast ports will share at least some of the ocean cargo diverted from east coast ports, especially from asia, but neither the west coast nor the u.s. rail system will be able to carry all of the cargo.
coincidentally, boeing's west coast factory employees started their first strike in 16 years in the early hours of the 13th local time, with about 33,000 people participating, with the main demands including a 40% salary increase. cnn previously expected that the strike would basically halt boeing's commercial aircraft production.
