The International Brotherhood of Teamsters has called out the Biden-Harris administration, urging it to “stay the f*** out of this fight” as port workers initiate a strike.
Early on October 1, unionized port workers spanning from Maine to Texas left their posts after negotiations for a new master contract between the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) and the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX) broke down. This marks the first strike of its kind among port workers since 1997.
In light of the stalled talks, the Teamsters, which represents over a million workers across North America, expressed their complete support for the ILA, emphasizing the need for a “fair and just contract” with the ocean carriers represented by USMX.
The union stated in a September 30 press release, “The U.S. government should stay the f*** out of this fight and allow union workers to withhold their labor for the wages and benefits they have earned.” They stressed that workers in all sectors should have the freedom to advocate for better conditions without governmental intervention. “Corporations have historically relied on political puppets to diminish workers’ leverage,” they added.
President Biden has made it clear that the federal government would not intervene to stop the strike. Although the Taft-Hartley Act could potentially impose an 80-day cooling-off period to resolve labor disputes affecting national safety, a Biden administration official confirmed, “We’ve never invoked Taft-Hartley to break a strike and are not considering doing so now. We encourage all parties to stay at the bargaining table.”
What’s Behind the Strike
Negotiations between the ILA—representing about 45,000 workers at 36 locations along the East and Gulf coasts—and USMX have seen some advances in pay discussions. However, the ILA rejected the latest USMX proposal, stating it did not meet the demands of its members regarding wages and protections from automation.
ILA president Harold Daggett stated, “We are prepared to fight as long as necessary, to stay on strike for whatever time is needed to secure the wages and protections our ILA members deserve.” He insisted that USMX must meet their demands for the strike to conclude.
The Teamsters have historically shown support for various Democratic candidates, including Joe Biden in the 2020 election. However, they have indicated that they will refrain from endorsing the party’s 2024 nominee, Kamala Harris, as opinions within their membership are divided ahead of the November elections.
The union stated in September, “President Joe Biden garnered Teamsters’ support in local straw polls conducted between April and July, but recent member polling revealed a shift in sentiment, with a majority favoring Trump for possible endorsement.” They noted that there was no clear majority support for Harris or Trump among their members.