The new president of the United States Donald Trump met with the leaders of the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA), a North American labor union representing longshore workers along the US East Coast, to discuss the thorny issue of port automation.
While the previous ILA strike on the USEC ports lasted only three days, there are fears for new labour actions in mid-January, as the union and the employer association, United States Maritime Alliance (USMX), have not agreed on the terms of a new labour deal. The main obstacle in the negotiations is the level of automation at the ports.
Trump expressed his support to the port workers through a social media post after his meeting with ILA President Harold Daggett and Executive Vice President Dennis Daggett at his home in Florida on 12 December.
“The amount of money saved is nowhere near the distress, hurt, and harm it [automation] causes for American workers, in this case, our Longshoremen,” pointed out President-elect Donald Trump.
“Foreign companies have made a fortune in the US by giving them access to our markets. They shouldn’t be looking for every last penny knowing how many families are hurt. They’ve got record profits, and I’d rather these foreign companies spend it on the great men and women on our docks, than machinery, which is expensive, and which will constantly have to be replaced,” he continued.
Trump concluded, “In the end, there’s no gain for them, and I hope they will understand how important an issue this is for me. For the great privilege of accessing our markets, these foreign companies should hire our incredible American Workers, instead of laying them off and sending those profits back to foreign countries. It is time to put AMERICA FIRST!”
In response, USMX highlighted that “this contract goes beyond our ports”. The employers group believes the new deal should support American consumers and give American businesses access to the global marketplace.
“To achieve this, we need modern technology that is proven to improve worker safety, boost port efficiency, increase port capacity, and strengthen our supply chains. ILA members’ compensation increases with the more goods they move – the greater capacity our ports have and goods that are moved means more money in their pockets,” stated USMX.
