Thousands of dockworkers shut down US east coast ports in major strike
Al Jazeera
Dockworkers shut down traffic at 36 ports on the US’s eastern seaboard, demanding better wages and job protections.
Tens of thousands of dockworkers have gone on strike across the US East Coast, shutting down key ocean shipping routes – and raising concerns about shortages and inflation – in the build-up to November’s presidential election.
The shutdown by the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) stopped traffic at 36 ports from Maine to Texas starting at midnight on Tuesday.
It is the first port strike of its magnitude in five decades, threatening to inflict billions in losses to the US economy and hamper the flow of goods, such as food and clothing.
The US port workers launched the strike due to a labour dispute with employers’ group United States Maritime Alliance (USMX), after their six-year contract expired.
For their new contract, ILA wants USMX to increase wages by 77 percent over six years and bar any automation, which they believe threatens workers’ jobs.
