It’s going to be a disaster if the ports shut down. Ports from Texas all the way up to Maine are prepping for a potential shutdown on Oct. 1. The union threatening to strike represents 45,000 dockworkers.
The contract between the International Longshoremen’s Association and the United States Maritime Alliance, which represents the ports, will expire on Sept. 30. The impact of goods not being received will be a huge blow to the economy and especially our small and medium-sized businesses across the Garden State.
Walkdown By Port Workers Shuts Down New York And New Jersey Ports
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The challenge here is that the Biden-Harris Administration has been essentially silent for the past three months as the dockworkers rightly expect to have a new contract put in place before the expiration of the current contract. Safety, benefits, and salary are all on the table.
Since there hasn’t been a strike since 1977, it shows gross negligence on the part of the federal government. Having an absentee president for the past several years has hurt us badly. Violence across the globe, spiking cost of living, dangerous gangs, human traffickers, and drug pushers pouring through our open border, and now the prospect of a shutdown of the ports.
It’s critical that we put pressure on the government to get to the negotiating table and ensure that the longshoremen are guaranteed a fair wage and the safety protocols critical for getting the job done.
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Joe Biden
President Joe Biden speaks in Washington 4/12/24 (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)
Most people may not know that the job of a longshoreman comes with a higher fatality rate than police officers and firefighters. Over the past six years according to the union, dockworkers have suffered 17.3 deaths per 100,000 workers compared to 14.9 among police officers and 16.6 among firefighters.
Thankfully, 69 Members of Congress are actively urging the Biden-Harris Administration to get to the table and negotiate a reasonable contract to keep the docks open. The press will likely provide this incompetent White House with cover but don’t buy it.
Like the war in Ukraine, the spike in the cost of living, and the rise in drug and human trafficking resulting from our open border, this strike is avoidable. But it will require this weak, incompetent, and negligent administration to act.
HERE is the statement from the Longshoreman Union Executive Vice President.
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The post above reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Bill Spadea. Any opinions expressed are Bill’s own.
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Publish date : 2024-09-25 03:50:00
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