Trump clearly supports the US East Coast longshoremen’s union

Trump said he had just concluded a meeting with Harold Daggett, president of the International Longshoremen’s Association, and his son, Dennis Daggett, executive vice president. The meeting discussed a lot of topics about “automation” at U.S. docks.

3/ In October, the ILA strike closed all major container ports in the East Coast and Gulf of the United States from Houston to Miami to Boston for three days, after which the union agreed to resume work in exchange for a substantial 61.5% pay increase in the next six-year contract. The interim agreement was reached under strong pressure from the Biden administration with foreign shipping companies and terminal operators represented by the United States Maritime Union (USMX), but left the thorny issue of automation to subsequent negotiations with a deadline of January 15, 2025.

4/ Trump’s position is consistent with Biden’s, emphasizing that unions are an important force in protecting the interests of American citizens, while the vast majority of shipping companies are now foreign companies. He pointed out: “Foreign companies have made huge fortunes in the United States by entering our market, but they should not ignore the harm to countless families in pursuit of the last penny.

They have made record profits, and I would rather these foreign companies invest their funds in the hard-working American men and women on our docks, rather than spending them on expensive machines that need to be constantly replaced. In the end, this does them no good, and I also hope that they can understand the importance of this issue to me.”

5/ The labor and management of the East Coast docks held a two-day meeting in November on the issue of using semi-automated cranes at port terminals, but eventually announced that the negotiations had reached a deadlock. This means that another strike may occur when the temporary agreement expires on January 15, and there will be only five days before Trump is sworn in.

The statements issued by both sides have become more and more intense in the past two weeks. Trump finally emphasized: “Foreign companies enjoy great privileges to enter our market, and they should hire our amazing American workers instead of firing them and sending profits back abroad. It’s time to put ‘America First’ first!”

6/ Employer group USMX said that relevant technology will not affect the employment of dock workers, but such modernization is essential to maintaining the competitiveness of American ports and the overall economy. “Obviously, President-elect Trump, USMX and ILA all want to achieve the common goal of protecting and increasing high-paying jobs at American ports,” USMX said after Trump issued a statement.

“We need proven modern technology to improve worker safety, increase port efficiency, increase port capacity, and strengthen our supply chain.” “ILA members’ salaries increase as the amount of cargo they move increases – the greater the capacity of our ports, the more cargo they move, which means more money in their pockets.” “We look forward to working with the president-elect and the incoming administration to explore how our members can support the strength and resilience of the U.S. supply chain and make key investments that support ILA members and millions of workers and businesses throughout the domestic supply chain, improve efficiency, and create more high-paying jobs for ILA members.