by worker-correspondent Lila Foley
Longshoremen strike at midnight at Bayport Terminal on Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Annie Mulligan)
From Texas to Maine, at midnight on October 1st, International Longshoremen’s Association workers (ILA) began to strike, following months of bad faith negotiations from the US Maritime Alliance (USMX). I visited the Virginia International Gateway in Portsmouth, Virginia that day and the ILA Locals 1248 and 1624 workers were out in force, demanding fair wages, an end to the automation of ports, and respect. The rain that Tuesday morning did not dampen their spirits, as workers proudly marched the picket line beaming with class pride. While misinformation and fear campaigns have quickly swept across the country, this determined group is steadfast in their demand for fair treatment and recognition.
A local ILA representative succinctly said it all: “We just want a fair agreement”.
While the bosses may describe them as greedy workers, the ILA has not been on strike since 1977, but today they were pushed beyond their limits. In their last contract negotiation in 2018, ILA won a six-year agreement starting workers at $20 for their backbreaking labor. Over the last six years, profits for shipping lines exponentially increased, and wages of port workers remained stagnant, in the face of rising inflation. One worker reasonably noted “it’s alright if [the cost of living is] increasing, but we want to increase with it”. He expressed discontent with the narrative already surrounding the strike, clarifying that the conversation shouldn’t focus on the cost of the wage increase, but instead should focus on workers like him who have over 30 years experience and are still making paltry wages while supporting their families, and who worked through the COVID-19 pandemic, risking their lives to support the rest of us stuck at home.
The ILA released an official statement echoing the clear necessity of these tireless workers that sustained the US during the pandemic, and the lack of compensation they receive for their critical labor while the companies they work for see record profits and are simultaneously trying to replace them with automation. The ILA statement was passed around as pieces of paper, and reads:
“Over the last several years, the net revenues of these companies have grown astronomically from hundreds of millions to billions of dollars while ILA members’ wage increases do not even cover the cost of inflation.” (see end of article for full statement)
In 2021, the Virginia Port Authority reported a net position of $837.5 million (VPA 2021). This figure, contrasted with workers’ demand for fair wages makes it clear that it is not only overwhelmingly possible, but rightly deserved. The threat of automation is a massive concern as well: the automation of ports, which has already begun at the Virginia International Gateway, discredits the skill of workers and threatens their livelihoods in the interest of cutting labor costs while increasing demands on individual workers. When asked what terms are wanted regarding automation, an ILA worker stated the importance of clear definitions of automation and semi-automation. He said “we don’t want any gray area when it comes to automation”, the fear is that ambiguities in the agreement may enable the company to exploit loopholes, further cheating the workers to make even more excess profits.
The workers at the Virginia International Gateway emphasized that they are prepared to do whatever it takes for their demands to be met. Workers in Portsmouth, as well as their counterparts in Norfolk and Newport News, will be on the picket line around the clock. The ILA representative stated that they are prepared with resources, and have received support from other local unions and organizations such as the International Bureau of Electrical Workers, Tidewater Workers Assembly, as well as a local teachers union. This is a fight the ILA workers can, and will, win.
If you would like to support this strike, workers at ports across the Hampton Roads Area urge you to demonstrate your solidarity and join them on the picket line.
- Read more here from the ILA on the negotiations leading up to the strike: https://ilaunion.org/in-multiple-communications-with-ila-leadership-usmx-held-firm-to-stingy-wage-offers-rejected-by-ila-wage-scale-committee/
- Even the US government is siding with the workers: https://ilaunion.org/acting-u-s-labor-secretary-julie-su-says-giant-shipping-magnates-should-share-their-economic-success-with-ila-longshore-workers/
- CPUSA stands with dock workers: https://cpusa.org/article/solidarity-with-the-dockworkers/
- Read the ILA statement itself here, photo taken on-site by worker-correspondent Lila
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