Dockworkers’ strike suspended



The International Longshoremen’s Association announced Thursday that it would suspend a strike after reaching a deal with the United States Maritime Alliance.

The union said its members would return to work immediately until Jan. 15 in order to give time for the leadership to negotiate a permanent deal.

'One expert estimated that the strike could cost as much as $3.7 billion per day.'

A source told the New York Times that the union had been offered an increase of 62% in wages over the course of a contract lasting six years.

The strike had begun on Tuesday morning and involved about 45,000 union members working ports on the East Coast as well as the Gulf Coast. The union was demanding concessions, including a large raise for dockworkers as well as a ban on automation at the ports.

One expert estimated that the strike could cost as much as $3.7 billion per day.

Also on Thursday, Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said he was ordering the National Guard to maintain order at ports and possibly "resume operations" so that disaster relief efforts were not affected by the strike.

"It is unacceptable for the Biden-Harris administration to allow supply chain interruptions to hurt people who are reeling from a category 4 hurricane," DeSantis said.

While President Joe Biden does the power to end a strike under the Taft-Hartley Act of 1947, he has signaled that he would rather side with the union and allow the strike to continue.

U.S. ports are far less efficient than those of other countries because of a lack of automation in order to protect union jobs and wages. Critics accuse the unions of using force to artificially keep wages high at the expense of trade efficiency.

Some grocery store shelves were reportedly running out of toilet paper as a result of people panicking over the strike, though many noted that the supply of toilet paper should not be affected at all.

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Gov. Ron DeSantis orders National Guard to end longshoremen's strike over hurricane disaster



Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced his order to send the National Guard to end a damaging union strike at ports on the Gulf Coast.

'It is unacceptable for the Biden-Harris administration to allow supply chain interruptions to hurt people.'

DeSantis made the announcement on Thursday, only two days after the International Longshoremen's Association began a strike meant to pressure the United States Maritime Alliance into bending to the union's demands.

"At my direction, the Florida National Guard and the Florida State Guard will be deployed to critical ports affected by the strike to maintain order and, where possible, resume operations," he said to reporters Thursday from Manatee County.

"It is unacceptable for the Biden-Harris administration to allow supply chain interruptions to hurt people who are reeling from a category 4 hurricane," he added.

He went on to announce various other emergency measures meant to aid disaster relief efforts in the wake of the massive damage from Hurricane Helene. He also said that there have been 15 confirmed fatalities in the state of Florida but that he expects the actual number of fatalities to climb much higher.

The union represents more than 40,000 workers at ports on the East Coast and the Gulf Coast. The ILA union is demanding a steep pay raise and also a ban on automation that would make ports far more efficient but may decrease demand for dockworkers.

Critics of the strike have accused the union of using force and damaging the economy in order to stand in the way of progress and efficiency.

The president, however, issued a statement blaming the greed of the shipping industry.

“As our nation climbs out of the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, dockworkers will play an essential role in getting communities the resources they need," said President Joe Biden (D). "Now is not the time for ocean carriers to refuse to negotiate a fair wage for these essential workers while raking in record profits.”

Former President Donald Trump signaled that he also sided with the dockworkers.

“American workers should be able to negotiate for better wages, especially since the shipping companies are mostly foreign-flag vessels," he said.

Video of the governor's address can be viewed on the news report from WTSP-TV on YouTube.

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