Early this morning, union dockworkers on the East Coast and the Gulf Coast walked off the job site and formed picket lines, immediately bringing the movement of billions of dollars in goods to a screeching halt. This move came after the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) and the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX) failed to reach an agreement on a new contract, though the two sides also haven’t met face-to-face in months and seem to be far apart on key issues at this point. This strike is expected to have a catastrophic impact on the U.S. economy, and as one might imagine, could also potentially impact Ford as well.
According to NPR, a number of politicians and around 170 industry groups have asked the Biden Administration to step in and force an end to the strike, just as it did to block a national U.S. railroad strike in late 2022. Under federal law, the president can call for an 80-day cooling off period when the nation’s safety is at risk due to a work stoppage such as this, but President Joe Biden told reporters “I don’t believe in Taft-Hartley,” referring to that potential course of action. This means that 14 ports will remain shut down until the two sides can reach an agreement – how long that will take, well, remains to be seen.
In the meantime, a number of trade groups – including the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, which counts Ford among its members – penned a letter to President Biden warning that an extended dockworkers strike could have severe economic consequences. “It is imperative that the parties return to the table without engaging in disruptive activities that could harm the economy and the millions of businesses, workers, and consumers who rely on the seamless flow of goods, both imports and exports, through our East Coast and Gulf Coast ports,” the letter said.
Ford is well aware of the potential impacts this strike could have on its business after facing its own targeted six-week strike from the United Auto Workers (UAW) union last year, which – coupled with the semiconductor chip shortage stemming from the pandemic – has affected vehicle production for years, and figures to continue to do so. However, Ford did manage to avoid another potential UAW strike at the Tool & Die Unit at its Rouge complex just last week.
Comments
They already make decent wages & about 3 times what many make all across the country. And in what world do employees have a right to tell their employer, a business that needs to survive competition, that they should not consider ways of improving things, whether it be automation or some other technology.
Look at CEO pay and tell me why that’s fair.
Why don’t you ask the boards of these companies about exec pay (and the bonuses they receive pushing certain agendas)? The board members are usually selected by the Blackrock, Vanguard, State Street folks.
It’s nothing short of extortion.. holding the company to ransom, it’s all about bottom feeders getting a chance to feel power because they know their greedy decisions WILL affect millions of ppl, and don’t care that their profit comes at others lose