ILA calls USMX move at NLRB “a publicity stunt”

Photo: ILA

As a port strike that threatens to close U.S, ports from Maine to Texas on October 1 gets ever nearer, the ILA union is dismissing the most recent reported move by the employers organization the United States Marine Alliance (USMX) as “a publicity stunt.”

As we reported, yesterday USMX filed with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) seeking an order to require the ILA union to resume bargaining.

The ILA says it regards the “unfair labor practice” suit filed by USMX as “another publicity stunt by the employer group.”

“Foreign owned companies, represented by USMX set up shop at American ports, earn billions of dollars in revenues and profits, take those profits out of country, and fail to adequately compensate the ILA longshore workforce for their labor are engaging in a real ‘unfair labor practice’ and have been getting away with for decades,” said the union.

The ILA, which has a total membership of 85,000 longshore workers employed at ports on the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts; major U.S. rivers; Great Lakes region, Puerto Rico, Eastern Canada and the Bahamas, added that “USMX should have brought charges against their own members who were unprepared, for exploratory Master Contract talks with the ILA when the two sides first met over two years ago.

“USMX filing these charges four days before the expiration of the current Master Contract clearly illustrates what poor negotiating partners they have been,” the ILA said. “If it wasn’t for the ILA engaging in serious and productive negotiations, most of the local agreements would not have been settled over the past year.”

MILITARY CARGOES AND CRUISE SHIPS WON’T BE IMPACTED

Earlier this week, the ILA said its 85,000 members will continue to honor its century-plus pledge to handle all military cargo, even if there is a coast wide strike beginning October 1. The union will also continue to work passenger cruise vessels.

“Dating back to World War 1, the ILA was always proud to note that ‘ILA Also Means Love America’ when it came to its ‘No Strike Pledge’ in handling U.S. military cargo at all its ports,” said ILA President Harold Daggett, who served in the U.S. Navy and saw combat duty during the Vietnam War. “We continue our pledge to never let our brave American troops down for their valor and service and we will proudly continue to work all military shipments beyond October 1st, even if we are engaged in a strike.”

“The U.S. Government representatives I have been engaging with are very happy and satisfied with the ILA who have always been there in tough situations, and always successfully accomplished the mission,” said the ILA’s Military Consultant, Gen. (Ret.) Tim McHale. “Our U.S. military knows that the ILA will conduct military load out operations even if there is a strike by ILA.”

Daggett also noted that ILA longshore workers will continue to work passenger cruise vessels at all ILA ports, to not inconvenience the tens of thousands of Americans who have booked trips in advance.

“We understand that many families plan and pay for cruises vacations on passenger ships more than a year out, and we don’t want them to be disappointed or inconvenienced in any way.” said Daggett. “For almost three years during the worst of the pandemic, the cruise ship industry was shut down, and our ILA rank-and-file members handling passenger cruise vessels lost a lot of manhours.”