Likelihood of ILA Strike Continues to Grow
OHL continues to receive reports that the likelihood of an International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) strike that will affect ports from Maine to Texas is increasing.
Contract negotiations are still at an impasse and the ILA President, Harold Daggett has directed ILA locals to prepare for a Dec. 30th strike at East and Gulf Coast ports.
In a letter to local ILA offices Daggett stated negotiations are not progressing well and it is expected that there will be a coastwise strike beginning at 12:01 a.m. on Sunday, Dec. 30th.
Daggett’s letter to ILA local offices included the following points about what to expect if the ILA strikes.
- The ILA will not handle containerized cargo
- The ILA will handle unfrozen perishable commodities, containerized military cargo excluding household goods, containerized mail, passenger ships, and non-containerized cargo and automobiles.
The letter did not specify how the ILA would deal with containerized shipments of perishable cargoes. Many of those shipments move on ships of carriers that use ILA labor under local contracts but are not signatories to the ILA-USMX master contract. More on pending ILA strike details.
