Dockworkers at US East and Gulf Coast Ports Preparing to Strike as Early as October 1st

Griff Lynch, CEO of the Georgia Ports Authority, said in an interview with the Associated Press (9-24-24) that a strike next week by 45,000 dockworkers across US East and Gulf coasts appears likely, though he is hopeful the resulting shutdown would last only a few days.

Businesses have been preparing for a potential strike for months, importing extra inventory to fill their warehouses. Lynch said that’s one reason container volumes in Savannah, Georgia, increased 13.7% in July and August compared to the same period a year ago.

Lynch said he’s holding out hope that a strike can be averted, although he added: “The stark reality is they are not talking right now.” Represented by the maritime alliance, the Georgia Ports Authority has no direct role in negotiating.

As for how long a strike might last, “no one really knows for sure,” said Lynch. “I would think we should expect four to five days, and hopefully not beyond that.”

The United States Maritime Alliance, which represents the ports, said Monday that it has been contacted by the US Labor Department and is open to working with federal mediators. The union’s president, Harold Daggett, said in a statement his members are ready to strike over what he called an unacceptable “low-ball wage package.”

“We’re hopeful that they’ll get it worked out,” said Kent Fountain, the Georgia Ports Authority’s board chairman. “But if not, we’re going to do everything we can to make it as seamless as possible and as easy as it could possibly be on our customers and team members.”

Georgia dockworkers are putting in extra hours trying to ensure ships get unloaded and return to sea before next Tuesday’s deadline. Truck gates at the Port of Savannah, normally closed on Sundays, will be open throughout this weekend.

Background

• There hasn’t been a national longshoremen’s strike in the US since 1977.
• The contract expires between the International Longshoremen’s Association and the United States Maritime Alliance on October 1st. Negotiations on a new contract halted in June.
• A strike would shut down 36 ports that handle roughly half the nations’ cargo from ships. Lynch oversees two of the busiest in Georgia. The Port of Savannah ranks number four in the US for container cargo that includes retail goods ranging from consumer electronics to frozen chickens.
• European and South American lumber and panel imports flow through one of these 36 ports that would be impacted.
• Experts say a strike of even a few weeks probably wouldn’t result in any major shortages of retail goods, though it would still cause disruptions as shippers reroute cargo to West Coast ports. Lynch and other experts say every day of a port strike could take up to a week to clear up once union workers return to their jobs.