US Dockworkers End Strike
US Dockworkers End Strike
The Facts
Some 45K US dockworkers have ended their three-day strike after the International Longshoremen's Association (ILA) and the US Maritime Alliance (USMX) reached a deal on Thursday.
While the ILA wanted a 77% wage increase over six years, and USMX offered a nearly 50% hike, the two sides reportedly agreed to a 62% pay raise, increasing the average hourly port worker wage from $39 to $63 over that period.
The Spin
The US dockworkers' strike exposed the ugly underbelly of union monopolies. It threatened to paralyze trade and harm countless lower-paid workers across industries, demonstrating how unchecked union power can lead to extortion-like tactics, ultimately hurting the very workers that the unions claim to protect.
Don't let Thursday's tentative agreement lull you into believing US port problems are solved. The issue at the heart of the dispute, automation, remains heavily salient. It is an existential threat to well-paid workers and the strike was merely the opening salvo — this agreement merely bought the country some time.
