For the first time since 1977, East and Gulf Coast port workers went on strike for higher wages and better job security, affecting 45,000 dockworkers. Some consumers have seen this as an “inconvenience,” though, struggling to live on wages as low as $20 in exchange for being one of the backbones of America is an even bigger inconvenience.
After a three day strike, workers were called back into work on Thursday as their union, the International Longshoremen’s Association, and their employers, United States Maritime Alliance, came to an agreement and contract extension until Jan. 15, 2025. The USMX counter offered what the union was asking; they did not agree to the full terms being asked, even though they could give the union what they were asking for. Overall, this is a step in the right direction.
The ILA and the USMX have temporarily agreed to a 62% increase in wages over the next six years, a stark contrast from the 50% USMX had offered before the strike. This highlights why these workers were striking and just how little their employers think of them. In this day and age, it is important that workers stand their ground against their employers that profit off of their work unfairly.
Before the strike, Johnnie Dixon, the ILA head of Fort Lauderdale, told CBS, “We are looking for a 77%, close to 77% increase over the next seven years. When you look at the cost of inflation, that’s more than reasonable.” They were looking to get a $5 increase per hour for each year of the contract.
The work that port laborers carry out is not easy, and for little pay, it is frustrating. The job is grueling, technical and physical. In general terms, port workers handle anything cargo related, the loading and unloading of ships using various machinery and the supervising of tasks and teams. Risks of injury include machinery, chemical exposure, weather conditions, falls, being crushed from equipment or containers and occupational illness.
According to the CDC, “Maritime industries have a higher fatality rate and risk of injury and illness than the national average for all workplaces.”
Top East and Gulf Coast workers make up to $39 an hour, but starting wages are at $20 an hour. This differs from their West Coast peers who make $54 an hour and whose wages will increase in 2027 to $60 an hour. Most employees take extra shifts and work for overpay, like many Americans do to make ends meet. Even if you are a top employee, the risks you go through every day for that pay is not enough, especially if you have a family to take care of.
The average annual salary for someone who works $39 an hour is $81,000 a year. In 2023, David F. Adam, the CEO of the USMX made $675,449 in compensation while the company in revenue made $49.9 million. In the U.S., livable wages for a family of four is $68,808 annually, not accounting for miscellaneous fees or any debt someone may have.
There were 14 ports that closed for the strike; they all specialize in different things such as auto parts, fruits, vegetables, coffee and chemicals. If the strike had lasted months, the U.S. could have had an economic disaster on their hands and consumers would have likely seen shortages or higher prices on products.
Despite the strike only lasting three days, it has highlighted and shown the value of fair compensation and security for those who are essential to the U.S. economy. Undermining the disparities that these people go through day in and day out for low wages is something many Americans can relate to. As East and Gulf Coast workers return to work for the rest of the year, it is important to continue the recognition and support for their fight for fair equity and compensation.
