Nearly 50,000 longshoremen (dock workers) have gone on strike on the East Coast of the United States. The role of a longshoreman is to load and offload ships. This is vital in maritime and road travel due to the necessary link between vessels and truckers. Longshoremen offload ships onto trucks, and they load cargo onto ships. Experts say that for every one day of work stoppage, it will take between four to six days to recover. The longshoremen on strike want a 77% increase in pay, which is clearly a high mark to reach. Automation has become a tremendous force on the docks, which could complicate matters here. Either the workers meet their demands and get a pay increase or are fired and replaced by automation.
SOURCES:
Live updates: Port workers strike begins across the East and Gulf Coasts | CNN Business
US ports: Dockworkers go on strike that could reignite inflation | AP News
Port Strike Begins on East and Gulf Coasts – The New York Times
Hundreds of longshoremen picket at Port of Houston as strike begins
East Coast ports strike, ILA union work stop strands billions in trade
Supply chain hangs in the balance as longshoremen strike begins – Axios New Orleans
International Longshoreman strike hits Savannah early Tuesday