From the MTD, to which the SIU is affiliated:
The Maritime Trades Department, AFL-CIO, unequivocally stands in solidarity with our brothers and sisters of the International Longshoremen’s Association as their contract nears expiration.
Much has already been written and aired about how a potential job action would affect the flow of commerce. By contrast, there hasn’t been nearly enough focus on the basic fairness sought by the ILA and (thus far) denied by USMX. Rank-and-file ILA members have made many sacrifices, particularly in recent years, and they deserve a collective bargaining agreement that reflects their importance to our nation’s ports and to the U.S. economy.
Strikes are always, without exception, an absolute last resort. That is the case today for the ILA, and it is one more reason why the MTD has their backs.
It’s time for management to deliver a contract with fair wages, reasonable approaches to automation, and job security that has been earned over many years.
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