The following is a report from the New York Times, as mentioned by the RV Industry Association.
For the first time in nearly 50 years, longshoremen on the East and Gulf Coasts went on strike Tuesday, Oct. 1, a move that will cut off most trade through some of the busiest U.S. ports and could send a chill through the economy.
Members of the International Longshoremen’s Association union, or I.L.A., which represents roughly 45,000 workers, started setting up pickets after 11th-hour talks failed to avert a work stoppage.
“Nothing’s going to move without us — nothing,” said Harold J. Daggett, the president of the union, addressing picketers outside a port terminal in Elizabeth, New Jersey, in a video posted early Tuesday to a union Facebook account.
But in a sign that the union and the group representing port employers might be getting closer to a deal, Daggett told CNBC on Tuesday morning that the union was now seeking raises that add up to 61.5% over a six-year contract, down from the 77% the union had asked for earlier in negotiations.
The United States Maritime Alliance, which represents port employers, said on Monday that its latest offer had included raises of “nearly 50%.” The group declined to comment on Tuesday. In addition to wage increases, the use of new technology in the ports has been a sticking point for the union.
Businesses and trade experts are closely monitoring the situation, with concerns about the impact on supply chains and the economy, the RV Industry Association (RVIA) reported on the matter.
Read the full New York Times report here, via a gift link from RVIA.
