With the port strike ensuing by the International Longshoremen’s Association since just after midnight on Tuesday, many understand the longshoremen’s rally for job security, but what do we know about their demands for a higher wage?
Read the backstory between the International Longshoremen’s Association and the United States Maritime Alliance here, as reported by The Dallas Express.
The current master contract between the United States Maritime Alliance, LTD, and the International Longshoremen’s Association, AFL-CIO, was entered into for six years beginning on October 1, 2018, and expired on September 30, 2024.
The contract shows dockworkers begin with a wage of $20 per hour. After two years, the pay increases to $24.75, followed by a raise to $31.90 after three years. Workers with a minimum of six years on the job receive a maximum pay of $39.
The ILA is requesting an increase in dockworkers’ initial wages from $20 per hour to $44 in the first year, $49 in the second year, and up to $69 in the final year. This would result in a 77% increase over the contract period, reported USA Today.
The U.S. Maritime Alliance reacted by offering to raise dockworkers’ wages by almost 50%, tripling employer contributions to employee retirement plans, improving health care coverage, and maintaining current protections against automation.
The ILA rejected their offer.
Additionally, ILA is asking for a $5 wage increase each year of the contract.
“We are now demanding $5 an hour increase in wages for each of the six years of a new ILA-USMX Master Contract,” said ILA President Harold Daggett, reported ILA’s website.
“Plus, we want absolute airtight language that there will be no automation or semi-automation, and we are demanding all Container Royalty monies go to the ILA,” Daggett continued.
The current annual salary of union workers reaches around $81,000, but with significant overtime, some can earn over $200,000 annually, per CBS News.