In the absence of an agreement in extremis on the renewal of the contract port workers on October 1st of the East Coast of the United States and the U.S. Gulf will cross Arms. The International Longshoremen's threatened him Association (ILA), the union representing these workers, calling for the level of port workers' wages to be raised commensurate with the billions of dollars earned by the ocean carriers that in the confrontation with ILA on the renewal of are represented by United States Maritime Alliance (USMX), the association to which maritime carriers belong containerized vehicles, terminal operators and other port operators operating in ports on the US East Coast and the Gulf.

Highlighting that the members of the union are preparing for over a year to the possibility of going on strike, the ILA Chairman, Harold J. Daggett, accused the USMX of lack of good faith in conducting negotiations on the renewal of the employment contract of the dockers committing themselves instead - denounced - "in an ugly propaganda campaign aimed at painting the ILA port workers as "greedy", also for masking one's ineptitude and failure in these negotiations that date back almost two years ago when the exploratory talks with the union to which they were totally unprepared".

ILA believes that wages are currently absolutely inadequate as the cost of living has significantly increased compared to six years ago when, on September 6, 2018, ILA and USMX had signed the agreement for the renewal of the contract of the port workers for a duration of six years, expiring on 30 September 2024. "For over three decades - he underlined Daggett - the annual increase in the pay of ILA workers is was, on average, only a measly 2.02%. For many years this percentage was zero, as in the years 1993-1996 in which ILA dockworkers have not seen increases Wage. This type of treatment in negotiations is unacceptable for the 2024 ILA port workers."

Among the ILA's requests there is also that of using for wage increases, all income from the Container Royalty, the tax rate on container traffic handled in the ports of the East Coast and the US Gulf which is used also to finance the health fund of port workers managed by ILA. The union highlighted that "the Container Royalty was originally traded as additional salary and, for ILA, "that is the money of the our associates earned through hard work! Our members - specified the union - should never share their Container Royalty money with ocean carriers that currently are making record profits."

Referring to the amount of one dollar per ton of cargoes Container Royalty, Daggett said that "The USMX must face the fact that those years of discontinuous annual increases of one dollar are now part of the history". Highlighting that "companies that provide employment ILA pays their executives billions of dollars in bonuses while our port workers work all year round, 24 hours a day 24, in brutal conditions of freezing cold and scorching heat", "Why," asked Daggett, "shouldn't we ask An increase of ten dollars an hour? ILA dockworkers deserve and companies have the money to pay for it".

Meanwhile, 177 trade associations have written to the US President Joe Biden to "express - reads the letter - Considerable concern about the state of negotiations between the International Longshoremen's Association (ILA) and the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX) to help them return to the negotiating table to restart stalled negotiations". The trade associations have invited the government "to work immediately with both parties to ensure that resume contract negotiations to ensure that there is no disruptions in port operations and in the flow of goods in the event that a new contract is not reached by the date of deadline". The associations recalled that this is was made on the occasion of the negotiations between the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) e la Pacific Maritime Association (PMA) for the renewal of the workers' contract ports of the West Coast ports.

"At this time - highlighted the associations of Category in the letter - A strike would have a devastating impact on the economy, especially as inflation is rising drop". However, an intervention by Joe Biden, using Taft Hartley Act which gives the president the power to suspending a strike for 80 days has been considered by many unlikely parties also in view of the upcoming elections presidential elections to be held on November 5.

For its part, the United States Maritime Alliance, expressing its agreement with the invitation of the 177 trade associations resumption of negotiations with the ILA and specifying that it had "a enormous respect for the ILA and its members", the association representing the employer expressed disappointment with "at this point, where the ILA has not willing to reopen dialogue unless they are satisfied all his requests. The only way to solve this situation - observed the USMX - is to resume negotiations, which we are willing to do at any time." "We understand and appreciate the concern of these trade associations, which - the USMX underlined - make themselves what is at stake if negotiations fail to progress, and we call on the ILA to return to negotiations so that we can reach a new agreement before the expiry of our current agreement, something we continue to believe is possible if the other is willing to meet."