Dockworkers at key U.S. ports threatening strike consumers could feel
CBSSep 22
US East Coast Ports Face Possible Dockworkers' Strike
Above: A view of the Port of Baltimore on June 12, 2024. Image copyright: Andrew Leyden/Contributor/NurPhoto via Getty Images
The Facts
Dock workers on the East and Gulf Coasts may go on strike on Oct. 1, if the International Longshoremen's Association doesn't approve a new six-year labor contract with the operators of port terminals before Sept. 30. The current contract expires at midnight on Monday.
In anticipation of a work stoppage — which a JPMorgan transportation analysis estimated would cost the economy $5B a day — many importers have reportedly diverted shipments to West Coast ports or stocked up on goods they'll need later in the year.
The Spin
Narrative A
This is going to be a difficult battle, but it's a necessary one for the dockworkers who are being disadvantaged by current labor laws and exploited by greedy corporations. A strike is the only way to teach the powers that be a lesson. If the Biden administration is as pro-union as it claims, it'll get involved in these negotiations on the dock workers' side.
Narrative B
Daggett seems intent on taking down the US economy for the sole purpose of achieving personal victory. There's a middle ground to be found, but Daggett appears to have soured on the Biden administration, and — armed with the power to call a strike without a vote — he's determined to make the president look bad regardless of the expense to the country and his workers.