‘Nothing’s going to move without us’: Port workers in Philadelphia and across the East and Gulf coasts go on strike

Docks in Philadelphia and all along the East Coast and Gulf Coast have ground to a halt as dockworkers strike for the first time in nearly 50 years.

Members of the International Longshoremen’s Association hit the picket line around midnight when their contacts with the owners of 36 ports expired. If the strike isn’t settled quickly, it could impact the cost of some products and lead to shortages of some retail goods.

“Nothing’s going to move without us — nothing,” Harold J. Daggett, the president of the union, said in an address to members early Tuesday morning. “We’re going to win this … thing... and we’re going to get what we deserve.”

The U.S. Maritime Alliance, which represents the ports, said Monday evening both sides had moved off of their previous wage offers. Yet no deal was reached, leading to workers walking off the job. The union had been seeking a 77% pay increase over six years, and rejected a last-minute offer to increase wages 50%, according to a statement from the Maritime Alliance. The workers also had concerns about the use of new technology to automate some work at the ports.

The union has pledged to continue to handle military cargo during their strike, and passenger cruise ships will be unaffected by their action.

“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,” Daggett said in a statement.

The Port of Philadelphia is a relatively small player among U.S. ports in terms of the total amount of cargo it handles. But it’s a major gateway for produce.

Members of the International Longshoremen’s Association Local 1291 work at multiple Philadelphia facilities, including the port’s biggest container terminal, the Packer Avenue Marine Terminal near the Walt Whitman Bridge. The terminal, which is owned by a state agency and operated by Holt Logistics, handles cargoes such as fruit, frozen meat, steel products, and paper.

ILA members also work for Delaware River Stevedores Inc., which operates the publicly owned Tioga Marine Terminal near the Betsy Ross Bridge.

There wouldn’t be a total shutdown of port activity in the Philadelphia area, however, as some facilities are operated by companies that employ workers represented by different unions.

Penn Terminals, which owns and operates the Port of Chester, employs members of the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers. John P. DiDomenicis III, owner of trucking firm Tri State Intermodal, said more cargoes that would typically move through Packer Avenue are now being routed through Penn Terminals.

John Brennan, Penn Terminals’ president, said his company would be “open for business as usual.”

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.