.png)
6 months ago
80
You have a preview view of this article while we are checking your access. When we have confirmed access, the full article content will load.
Members of the International Longshoremen’s Association walked out for the first time since 1977 in a standoff over wages, benefits and job security.
Oct. 1, 2024, 12:44 a.m. ET
For the first time in nearly 50 years, longshoremen on the East and Gulf Coasts went on strike Tuesday, a move that will cut off most trade through some of the busiest U.S. ports and could send a chill through the economy.
“Nothing’s going to move without us — nothing,” said Harold J. Daggett, the president of the International Longshoremen’s Association union, addressing picketers outside a port terminal in Elizabeth, N.J., early Tuesday.
The United States Maritime Alliance, which represents port employers, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Businesses now face a period of uncertainty. Trade experts say that a short strike would cause little lasting damage but that a weekslong stoppage could lead to shortages, higher prices and even layoffs.
“When we talk about a two- to three-week strike,” said J. Bruce Chan, a transportation analyst at Stifel, a Wall Street firm, “that’s when the problem starts to get exponentially worse.”
Image
